Police detained CJP supporters during a demonstration near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi on Saturday. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA)The UN Human Rights Office has expressed concern over the mass detentions of civil society members, lawyers, and journalists in Delhi during protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party on Saturday. They also called for an immediate and unconditional release of protestors detained during the day. India’s permanent mission in Geneva has dubbed the “concerns” as misplaced, “causing an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs”.UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called upon Indian authorities to respect and fulfil the right to peaceful assembly, noting that restrictions must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality.According to police sources, around 1,200 people had been detained overnight. Delhi Police also reported detaining approximately 500 people arriving in groups during the morning. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)In their response, the Indian permanent mission to the UN in Geneva said, “India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media… As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances.”MUST READ: Cockroach Janta Party’s anti-Gyanesh Kumar protest in Delhi: Full coverageThe concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in internal affairs of India, it added, also reminding OHCHR to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity. Police also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in parts of the capital. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna) In their statement, UN official had said, “We are concerned by reports of mass detentions in India of demonstrators, protest leaders, members of civil society organisations, lawyers and journalists, before and during today’s large-scale demonstrations in Delhi.”Story continues below this adAlso Read | Delhi CJP Protest News Live Updates: CJP to resume protest tomorrow, UN body tweets on Delhi detentions“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is fully respected and fulfilled. Restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality,” the UN office said.The Indian authorities should also ensure law enforcement forces exercise utmost restraint in response to peaceful protesters, consistent with the country’s democratic traditions and human rights obligations. All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released.Also Read | Computer scientist, IT pro, former AAP: Meet Ajinkya Shinde, new CJP leader in-charge of October 10 protestWe also urge the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the broadly held concerns expressed, it said. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More Tags:Cockroach Janta Party