New Delhi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed remarks by United Nations experts regarding protests in India, labelling them an “oxymoron” and asserting that domestic political matters are strictly internal to the country.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai during his visit, Rubio was asked about comments made by UN experts concerning demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party and opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as well as the response from law enforcement agencies.

“Oh, UN experts, my favourite. The UN experts are the oxymoron,” Rubio said before departing for Jamnagar, adding that he would refrain from commenting on India’s internal political affairs.

The US Secretary of State noted that India is a vibrant democracy with regular elections, drawing a parallel to routine protests in the United States. The remarks followed a statement by UN experts on Tuesday calling on Indian authorities to protect the right to peaceful protest and ensure justice for alleged human rights violations.

Earlier at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Barkha Tamrakar, Deputy Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry’s UN Economic Social Division, robustly defended India’s democratic framework. She stated that India opposes the selective use of human rights concepts and unverified allegations as political tools to target countries.

Tamrakar reiterated that India remains open to dialogue, consultation, and cooperation through established channels based on transparency and non-selectivity. She emphasized that human rights mechanisms must not be weaponised for political pressure or targeted criticism.