UN experts urge India to end excessive force against protesters

United Nations specialists urged India on Tuesday to cease the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, following recent crackdowns on demonstrations. According to the experts, UN agencies expressed concern over the treatment of unarmed students and thousands of demonstrators who were injured or subjected to ill-treatment during the protests.

The experts called for an independent investigation into the actions of Indian law enforcement, who reportedly deployed baton charges and blocked assembly sites. The protesters, primarily opposition political parties and student organizations, have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a voter list revision they claim favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

In addition to the voter list controversy, mass protests took place in the summer over alleged exam-paper leaks, leading to the resignation of India's education minister. Despite the peaceful nature of the assemblies, law enforcement agencies have allegedly used excessive force, including baton charges, to disperse crowds and prevent participation in the demonstrations.

The experts urged the authorities to immediately halt the use of excessive force, repeal blanket assembly bans, and refrain from misusing digital surveillance tools, such as biometrics and internet disruptions. India has consistently dismissed such criticism as interference in its internal affairs, even when the UN human rights office expressed concerns over mass detentions during recent protests.

The Indian embassy in Washington did not provide a comment on the matter. India's government maintained that its law enforcement agencies acted strictly in accordance with the law. Protesting groups argue that the removal of 130 million names from voter lists disenfranchised eligible voters, disproportionately affecting poor and homeless individuals, as well as ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are less likely to support the Hindu nationalist BJP.

The BJP and Election Commission deny these allegations. The Election Commission stated that it removed duplicate, deceased, shifted, and otherwise ineligible voters, and that anyone wrongfully excluded can appeal the decision. The protest crackdown has been condemned by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

UN experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises, are independent of the organization itself.