UN experts call on India to stop using ‘excessive force’ against protesters

The experts call for an end to excessive force, blanket restrictions on public assemblies and the misuse of digital surveillance amid protests over voter-list deletions.

United Nations human rights experts have urged Indian authorities to stop the alleged excessive use of force against protesters and launch an independent investigation into police conduct during demonstrations led by opposition groups and students. The experts also called for an end to blanket bans on public assemblies and the misuse of digital surveillance and internet disruptions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the experts expressed concern over reports that demonstrators had suffered injuries and some had experienced ill-treatment. They also highlighted allegations of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during protests and related detentions. Reuters reported that the experts had called for an impartial investigation into the authorities’ response.

The protests have centred on a revision of India’s electoral rolls that has removed around 130 million names. Opposition parties and student organisations say the process risks excluding eligible voters, particularly people who are poor, homeless or members of minority communities, including Muslims. They have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in the revision process.

India’s Election Commission and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny accusations of political bias. The commission says the deletions target duplicate entries, deceased voters, people who have moved and other ineligible registrations, adding that people removed in error can appeal. Reporting by Reuters has documented the difficulties some voters face in attempting to restore their names to the electoral rolls.

According to the UN experts, law enforcement officers reportedly used lathi charges—police baton charges—to disperse unarmed students, while thousands of people were allegedly prevented from joining demonstrations. The experts urged the authorities to end excessive force and lift blanket restrictions on peaceful assembly.

Their concerns extend beyond street-level policing. They called on Indian authorities to refrain from the misuse of biometric surveillance and internet disruptions, measures that can affect privacy, communication and the ability of people to organise or participate in public demonstrations.

The experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific human rights issues, but they act independently and do not speak on behalf of the United Nations as an institution. Their statement is a call for investigation and accountability; it is not, by itself, a judicial finding that every allegation has been established.

The dispute over voter registrations and the handling of protests has therefore raised two connected questions: whether electoral-roll revisions are adequately protecting eligible citizens’ voting rights, and whether authorities are respecting the right to peaceful assembly while responding to demonstrations. Independent scrutiny of both issues will be important to establishing the facts and assessing the competing claims.

Sources: Reuters, UN experts urge Indian authorities to cease use of excessive force to curb protests; Reuters, Declared dead: Indian voters fight to get back on electoral rolls; Al Jazeera, UN experts call on India to stop using ‘excessive force’ against protesters; UN Human Rights Office, India: concerns over mass detentions before and during protests.