UN human rights experts have urged the Indian government to end the use of “excessive force” against protesters and launch an impartial investigation into the conduct of law enforcement agencies following a crackdown on opposition and student-led demonstrations.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the two dozen independent experts reported injuries among demonstrators and allegations of ill-treatment during protests and related detentions, expressing particular concern about reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse.
“Protesters have sustained injuries, with some reporting being subjected to ill-treatment. The experts expressed particular concern about reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse in the protests and related detentions,” the statement said.
The demonstrations, which have intensified this month, have been led by India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), other opposition parties and student organizations, with protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the mass removal of names from electoral rolls.
The protesting groups allege that the deletions have disproportionately affected poor and homeless people, as well as ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are unlikely to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the accusations, saying the electoral revision is intended to remove duplicate entries, deceased voters, people who have moved and other ineligible registrations.
The Election Commission has also maintained that people whose names were removed incorrectly can appeal their exclusion.
Against this backdrop, UN experts said reports of police violence and restrictions on participation in the demonstrations raised serious concerns about the authorities’ handling of the protests.
“Despite the non-violent nature of the assemblies, law enforcement agencies have reportedly deployed force against unarmed students including by means of police so-called lathi charges, and have prevented thousands from joining the protests,” the experts said.
Lathi charges involve police using sticks to disperse crowds.
The experts called on Indian authorities to end the use of excessive force, lift blanket bans on public assemblies and refrain from misusing digital surveillance technologies, including biometric systems, as well as disrupting internet access.
“We call on the authorities to immediately cease the use of excessive force, rescind blanket assembly bans, and refrain from the misuse of digital surveillance, including through biometrics, and internet disruptions,” they added.
The experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights situations, but operate independently of the United Nations itself.
India has repeatedly rejected international criticism of its handling of domestic affairs, describing such interventions as interference in its internal matters.
Earlier this month, the UN human rights office also raised concerns about mass detentions linked to the latest protests, drawing a similar response from Indian authorities.
