India abstains in UNHRC vote on setting up inquiry into Russian invasion of Ukraine

Geneva/New Delhi, Mar 4 : India on Friday abstained in a UN Human Rights Council vote on urgently setting up an independent international commission of inquiry into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. India, along with China, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, was among 11 countries that abstained. Two countries voted against the resolution – Russia and Eritrea, while it got 32 Yes votes. The 47-member Council voted on a draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted with 32 votes in favour. The countries voting in favour included France, Germany, Japan, Nepal, UAE, UK and the US. “The Human Rights Council has decided to urgently establish an independent international commission of inquiry as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” the Council said in a tweet. Today’s abstention by India comes after it abstained on two resolutions on condemning Russia over the Ukraine issue in the 15-nation UN Security Council, and again in the UN General Assembly on the Ukraine issue – all in a week, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. RN