Under fire over the death of 84-year-old activist Father Stan Swamy in jail, the government on Tuesday rejected mounting international criticism. It said the due process of law was followed in his case and that the authorities act against violations of law and do not restrain legitimate exercise of rights.
The Ministry of External Affairs asserted that India remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights of all its citizens. It added that the country's democratic polity is complemented by an independent judiciary and a range of national and state-level human rights commissions.
Eighty-four-year-old Stan Swamy, who was arrested last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday.
The government's push back came as EU and UN human rights officials criticised treatment meted out to Father Stan Swamy.