GENEVA: India today said it is a secular state with no state religion and safeguarding the rights of minorities forms an essential core of its polity, as it came under criticism from Pakistan over treatment of minorities.
Speaking at the 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group at the UNHCR here, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that the Indian Constitution enshrines various provisions for the protection of the rights and interest of the minorities.
Rohatgi, who led the Indian delegation at the UN Human Rights Council, said India makes no distinction between caste, creed, colour or religion of a citizen.
“India is a secular state with no state religion,” he said, adding that the Indian constitution guarantees freedom of religion to every individual.
He said the right to free speech and expression occupies its rightful place in the core of the Indian Constitution. (AGENCIES)
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