Terming the United States invasion of Iraq as a "deliberate" attempt at human rights violation, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Saturday said the age we live in is marked by a dark feature of lack of sincerity and commitment.
"It is a deliberate attempt to violate human rights," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi to mark the Human Rights Day Saturday.
Asked whether the United States was responsible for rights violations in Iraq, the speaker said, "You are saying it, all are saying it, I am saying it."
Earlier in his address Chatterjee said, "We have seen what has been happening in Iraq; we have seen other instances of brazen invasion of other countries by those that have taken it on themselves to act as policemen of the world."
Expressing concern he said, "In a very real sense, the tragedy of the adoption of the Declaration of Human Rights has been its consistent and blatant violations, usually accompanied by affirmations of the value the violators place on human rights."
Observing that the unrest in any region stems from denial of rights, Chatterjee said the real illness for lack of basic rights was poverty.
"To ensure that the citizens of this country enjoy the basic rights to which they are entitled, a relentless campaign has to be waged against poverty," he said.
© 2026