Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
Maintaining that the government has zero tolerance towards custodial deaths, extra-judicial killings and police atrocities, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today emphasised that acts of terror, violence and other human deprivations should also be treated with equal concern in protection of human rights.
Addressing the 26th foundation day celebrations of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Delhi, Shah, in a strong reposte to critics, countered that the Narendra Modi government was working extensively to protect the human rights.
“The government is providing electricity to households, free medical services and gas connections. Providing toilets is also ensuring the human rights of people and the Modi government has done a massive work in the direction to provide these rights to the people,” the minister said.
Shah said, “40,000 civilians have been killed since Independence in Kashmir by militants. Is that not an attack against human rights? I would like to ask, do the families of people who died due to terrorism in Kashmir have no human rights?”
Noting that India’s social structure has an inherent strength to protect human rights of poor, weaker sections, women and children, Shah asked the NHRC to broaden the arc of its cognisance to other aspects of the rights. “I believe human rights norms made by the UNHRC are not applicable in India. Their definition of human rights is limited. We should make our own definition.”
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Shah said his principles and values encompassed a wide range of human rights.
