India, Sept. 11 -- India hit back strongly at Switzerland at the United Nations after the country's representative raised concerns about the treatment of minorities in India. The pushback came following Switzerland's suggestion to India on "protecting minorities".

In response, India reminded the European country of "racism, systematic discrimination, and xenophobia" on its own land, urging it to focus on its own challenges.

On Tuesday, the Swiss delegate at the UN urged India to protect minorities and uphold freedom of expression and the media. The country had called on India to "take effective measures to protect minorities and uphold the rights to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the media".

In the Indian context, minorit...