MEA summons Swiss Ambassador to protest anti-India posters in Geneva

Last updated on March 9th, 2023 at 06:17 am

India has summoned Switzerland’s Ambassador to protest against “unfounded” and “malicious” anti-India posters put up in front of the United Nations (UN) office in Geneva, the second-most populous city in Switzerland.

According to government sources, India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) was angry after certain posters and banners critical of India were displayed near the main offices of the United Nations and Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

MEA Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma called Swiss Ambassador Ralf Heckner to talk about this issue. He raised “the issue of unfounded and malicious anti-India posters” to Switzerland’s Ambassador. The Swiss envoy said he would convey India’s concerns to the officials in Switzerland. Subsequently, he said in a statement, “The embassy has conveyed India’s concerns to Berne.”

Reportedly, posters critical to India were put up in a square in front of the UN office following the start of the latest session of the UNHRC meeting. The posters opposed the alleged oppression of minorities and women in India. One of the posters read, “Women in India are treated as slaves.” Another poster read, “Child marriage is a serious violation of child rights in India.” Another poster read, “Indian Dalits are children of a lesser god.”

According to the sources and people familiar with the matter, the posters do not in any way reflect the position of the Swiss government about India.

On Sunday, MEA decided to take action after one of the videos shared on social media got more than a million views. The video showed posters, which were put up near the UN office in Geneva.

A Twitter user posted a video and wrote, “A video shot by an Indian student in Geneva goes viral where a high level of propaganda can be seen unleashed against India near UNHRC HQ. Is this the new Toolkit or planned preparation for 2024??”

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