New Delhi summons Swiss envoy over 'anti-India' posters in Geneva

The Swiss embassy has conveyed India's concerns to Berne

Ambassador to India Ralf Heckner said the Swiss government did not endorse the posters. EPA

India has raised concerns with the Swiss envoy over “malicious and anti-India” posters that appeared in Geneva.

A video showing them in front of the UN building in Geneva was widely shared on social media last week.

The posters highlighted child marriages and violence against minorities such as Christians, and read “Indian Christians are facing state-sponsored terrorism”.

Another read: “Women are treated as slaves.” The posters prompted India’s Ministry of External Affairs to summon the Swiss ambassador and express displeasure.

They appeared on the plaza in front of the UN building during a session of the UN Human Rights Council. Officials and ministers had arrived from all over the world for the fifty-second session of the UNHRC, which began last Monday.

The MEA’s secretary, Sanjay Verma, “called in” Swiss ambassador Ralf Heckner and raised the issue on Sunday, media reports said.

The embassy has conveyed India's concerns to Berne with all the seriousness it deserves, Mr Heckner added.

He said the posters in Geneva were put up in a public place, free for all to use. But the Swiss government in no way endorses the claims, nor do they reflect its position.

Indian law prohibits the marriage of women below 18 and of men under 21. But the country of 1.4 billion has 223 million child brides — a third of the global total — according to a Unicef report.

Minorities such as Christians and Muslims are also increasingly facing discrimination in the Hindu-majority country, which is officially secular.