The crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his followers at the Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi is an ‘internal Indian issue,’ a US official said on Monday and ruled out to compare this incident with the Tiananmen Square in China.
"We have seen the various media reports about the incident (Ramlila Maidan). We consider it an internal Indian issue at this point," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters during his daily news conference.
"Speaking more broadly, though, we do support the right to peaceful assembly, but we also support a democratic government's right to require permits and enforce public security. But, again, we believe it's an internal matter for the Indian government," he said.
However, he refrained from making a direct comment on this specific incident arguing that this is an internal matter for India.
"Obviously, we support the right to peaceful assembly, but there's an equal obligation on the part of the protesters or those assembled to have the necessary permits," Toner said.
Noting that the demonstrators at the Ramlila Maidan may or may not have had permits, Toner said: "We obviously support their right to peaceful assembly.
We respect India's stature as the world's largest democracy, and we believe it's right now an internal matter for them to decide the best way forward".
Toner said it is important to recognize that India, as world's largest democracy has responsibility to allow these peaceful protesters to express their views.
"But equally, there's a responsibility on the part of the protesters to do so in a responsible fashion and with the requisite security requirements," he said.
Responding to questions, Toner however refused to draw parallel between the Ramlila Maidan incident with those of brutal crackdown at the Tianamen Square in China.
I'm not going to draw parallels between the two cases," Toner said. "Just a few days ago you put out a statement marking the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Do the Chinese also have a right to uphold public order by storming Tiananmen Square?" he was asked.