A "selective" approach to human rights dents the country's image, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, as he criticised "some" who viewed human rights "with an eye on political gains and loss" and were therefore harming the practice of such rights and democracy. "Some people see human rights violations in some incidents but not in others. Human rights are violated when viewed via political spectacles. Selective behaviour is harmful to democracy," Modi said on the Founding Day of the National Human Rights Commission.

"Some try to dent the country's image in the name of human rights... Looking at human rights with an eye on political gains and loss harms these rights as well as democracy," he added.

Modi lauded his government's "sabka saath, sabka vikas" (government for all, development for all) campaign slogan, and declared it reflected "basic principle of human rights for all", NDTV said.

Modi's comments came amid national and international criticism of erosion of democracy and assault on human rights in the country, the latest being the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri, in Uttar Pradesh state where four farmers who were part of  a peaceful protest were run over by a car allegedly driven by the son of the Home Minister PM Modi's government.

Ashish Mishra - who has been named as a murder suspect - was finally arrested on Saturday  -nearly a week after brutal attack -amid furious protests by opposition leaders and civil society voices that he was being protected because of his high-profile father. Opposition parties slammed the BJP on what they say was abuse of even basic human rights - including the right to protest safely and the right to justice - in this matter, NDTV said. 

In August Supreme Court of India Chief Justice NV Ramana underlined the "sacrosanct" nature of human rights and said that if India were to remain "a society governed by rule of law" it was necessary to ensure that even the most vulnerable enjoyed its full protection.