"Answer Is Obvious": S Jaishankar On UN 'Double Standards' On Protests

At the NDTV World Summit 2026, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was asked a question: Does the United Nations have "double standards" when it comes to its views on protests in different countries?

The UN has condemned violence associated with the recent mass protests in France, while calling on authorities to respect human rights and address the grievances underlying the demonstrations. In India, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and independent UN human rights experts have expressed concerns about the handling of youth-led demonstrations associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and allied groups.

When questioned whether the UN applies different standards when responding to protests in India and France, Jaishankar said the answer was "pretty obvious".

"That is a bigger issue because you get into what the UN is, what positions they take, and so forth. Look, let's be straightforward about it, I am making this assessment and observation about what is happening across multiple countries and societies. This is not a comment specific to India, the Indian subcontinent, or France," Jaishankar said. 

"We have seen that in many cases, when these moments occur, there is external encouragement and external support. There is a set of actors who see this as a tool of influence to advance their agenda. It is not a secret-even those who do it openly admit to it; they are not hiding it," he added. 

The External Affairs Minister said the challenges facing governments could not be explained simply by the actions of one country, one administration or a particular dispute, arguing instead that a wider set of changes had transformed the international environment over the past 15 years.

"This is not just about state actors, the United States, or tariffs. I would submit that as the world changed, many countries and societies experienced significant psychological friction. With the rise of borderless politics, the ability to intervene and interfere grew as technology spread and the global economy became deeply integrated. Consequently, these drivers of turbulence and volatility have steadily compounded," Jaishankar said. 

At least 2,400 people were arrested in France on Saturday alone. Rioters in cities across France clashed with police, set cars on fire, stormed public buildings and looted shops, while a historic city hall was engulfed in flames.