India abstained in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) from voting on establishing an independent commission of inquiry on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
In the 47-member council, the resolution was adopted with 32 nations voting in favour, two against it and 13 abstentions, including India, Pakistan, China, Sudan and Venezuela. The two nations which voted against it were Russia and Eritrea.
Taking to its official Twitter handle, the UNHRC said, “The Human Rights Council has decided to urgently establish an independent international commission of inquiry as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
It should be noted that India has already abstained on three resolutions on Ukraine in UN Security Council (UNSC) and one in UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Back on Wednesday, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to censure Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while India abstained on the vote “in view the totality of the evolving situation”.
The 141 votes that the resolution – more than two-thirds of those voting – received was a diplomatic blow to Moscow. Only five countries voted against the resolution, while 35 abstained and 12 absented themselves.
Reflecting the sentiments of some of those abstaining, South Africa’s Permanent Representative Mathu Joyini said her country abstained because the resolution would have driven a deeper wedge between the parties while it should have welcomed the talks between Russia and Ukraine and given more prominence to the role of the UN.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine. Special flights have been arranged under ‘Operation Ganga’.
A total of 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the advisories were issued and flights under ‘Operation Ganga’ have been increased to facilitate the evacuation of remaining students stranded in Ukraine.
