On August 19, 2023, Delhi police, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, disrupted the We20, People’s Summit organized by 70+ civil society organizations to address issues impacting marginalized communities at H.K.S. Surjeet Bhawan, barricading and preventing access to the event that focused on critical topics like land rights, economic inequality, and climate justice.

The incident reflects an alarming trend of curbing democratic rights and shrinking the space for dissent in India. The disruption infringes upon the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and violates national and international laws protecting freedom of speech, assembly, and association.

HRDA urges the National Human Rights Commission to:

To Launch an independent inquiry by the Director General of Investigation of NHRC into why a Constitutionally lawful assembly of CSOs and HRDs within private premises was barred by the police.