United Nations experts called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into the conduct of Indian authorities during a recent crackdown on demonstrations. The protests erupted after opposition parties and student organisations demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Demonstrators took to the streets this month to protest a revision of voter lists. Critics argue the changes favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party.
A group of two dozen UN experts issued a statement on Tuesday addressing the police response. They noted that demonstrators sustained injuries and some individuals reported experiencing ill-treatment.
Law enforcement agencies deployed force against unarmed students despite the peaceful nature of the assemblies, according to the experts. Police used lathi charges with batons to break up crowds and prevented thousands of people from joining the demonstrations.
The experts urged the government to take immediate action regarding crowd control methods. They called on authorities to cease the use of excessive force, rescind blanket assembly bans, and refrain from misusing digital surveillance through biometrics and internet disruptions.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement.
India has repeatedly dismissed international criticism and cast it as interference in internal affairs. The UN human rights office previously expressed concerns earlier this month over mass detentions linked to the protests.
Protesting groups state that the removal of 130 million names from voter lists led to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters. They claim the removals disproportionately affected poor and homeless people along with ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are seen as unlikely to support the Hindu nationalist BJP.
Both the BJP and India’s Election Commission have denied these allegations. The Election Commission stated that it was only removing duplicate, deceased, shifted, and ineligible voters, adding that anyone excluded in error can pursue appeals.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have also condemned the protest crackdown.
The UN experts making the appeal are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises, though they remain independent of the organisation itself.
