The UN Resident Coordinator said women and girls from disadvantaged social groups are at greater risk of gender-based violence

India has taken strong exception to the UN Resident Coordinator’s statement on alleged rape and murder in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras and Balrampur.

"Some unwarranted comments have been made by the UN Resident Coordinator regarding some recent cases of violence against women. UN Resident Coordinator in India should be aware that these cases have been taken extremely seriously by the government,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in response to a media query.

He further said that “since the investigation process is still underway, any unnecessary comments by an external agency are best avoided. The Constitution guarantees equality to all citizens of India. As a democracy we have a time-tested record of providing justice to all sections of our society.”

“The recent cases of alleged rape and murder in Hathras and Balrampur are another reminder that despite the impressive progress made on a number of social indicators, women and girls from disadvantaged social groups face additional vulnerabilities and are at greater risk of gender-based violence,” the UN Resident Coordinator maintained in a statement.