UN experts have called on the Indian government to stop using “excessive force” against opposition and student protesters. In a statement on Tuesday, the two dozen independent experts also pressed for an impartial investigation into the conduct of Indian authorities, saying demonstrators had been injured and some had reported ill-treatment.
The experts said they were particularly concerned by reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during the protests and related detentions, according to the statement. The UN experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor human rights crises but are independent of the organisation itself.
Protests over the removal of voter names
The Cockroach Janta Party, along with other opposition parties and student organisations, has led protests this month. They are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after 130 million names were removed from voter lists.
Protesting groups said the removals disproportionately affected poor and homeless people, as well as ethnic minorities including Muslims, who are unlikely to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP and the Election Commission deny the accusations. The commission said it was removing duplicate, deceased, shifted and otherwise ineligible voters, and that anyone excluded in error could appeal.
UN experts criticise police tactics and surveillance
The experts said law enforcement agencies had reportedly used force against unarmed students, including lathi charges, and had prevented thousands from joining the protests despite their largely non-violent nature. Lathi charges involve coordinated police movements using sticks to disperse crowds.
The experts called on the authorities to immediately end excessive force, lift blanket assembly bans, and stop misusing digital surveillance, including biometrics, and internet disruptions.
India dismisses criticism as interference
India has repeatedly rejected such criticism, describing it as interference in its internal affairs. The government took the same position earlier this month, when the UN human rights office raised concerns over mass detentions linked to the latest protests.
