New Delhi: The 193-member United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday suspending Russia from the world body's Human Rights Council even as India abstained from voting.
While 93 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 24 countries voted against it and 58 countries abstained. Russia's current membership of the UNHRC was supposed to end in December 2023.
No permanent member of the UN Security Council has ever had its membership revoked from any organ of the world body, PTI reported.
The vote was initiated by the US after harrowing images emerged of corpses strewn across streets of the Ukrainian city Bucha last week. A mass grave in the town was also found, with residents saying they believe at least 400 people were buried there.
"India has abstained on the resolution with regard to the suspension of the Russian Federation from the Human Rights Council adopted in the UN General Assembly today," said TS Tirumurti, India's Permanent Representative to UN.
"Since the inception of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. If India has chosen any side, it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence," TS Tirumurti said.
TS Tirumurti said New Delhi had condemned the "deeply disturbing" reports of civilian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation.
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"We continue to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterate our call for end to all hostilities. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option," Tirumurti said.
Tirumurti said the impact of the crisis had also been felt beyond the region, with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries.
"Impact of the crisis has also been felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries. It's in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside UN and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the conflict," he further said.
So far, India has abstained on eight occasions on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council over Russia's invasion in Ukraine.