UN experts urge India to end excessive force against protesters

The United Nations has urged India to cease the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, following recent crackdowns on demonstrations across the country. According to a statement from 26 independent experts, Indian authorities have deployed baton charges and lathi charges against unarmed students, preventing thousands from participating in the assemblies.

While the protests have been non-violent, law enforcement agencies have allegedly used excessive force, including digital surveillance through biometrics and internet disruptions.

The experts called for an independent investigation into the conduct of Indian authorities during the recent protests. They urged the government to immediately halt the use of excessive force, revoke blanket assembly bans, and refrain from the misuse of digital surveillance. The UN experts emphasized that such actions violate human rights standards and undermine the democratic process in India.

India has consistently dismissed these criticisms, labeling them as interference in its internal affairs. The Indian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The Indian government maintains that its law enforcement agencies acted strictly in accordance with the law.

Protesting groups have accused the government of disenfranchising eligible voters by removing 130 million names from the voter lists. They argue that this disproportionately affects poor and homeless individuals, as well as ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are less likely to vote for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

However, the BJP and the Election Commission deny these allegations, stating that the removal process involved eliminating duplicate, deceased, shifted, and ineligible voters. Anyone excluded in error can file appeals through the Election Commission.

The crackdown on protests has been condemned by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. UN experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises, are independent of the organization itself.