Independent United Nations experts have called on the Indian government to stop using "excessive force" after a crackdown on protests by opposition supporters and students in the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday (October 21), around twenty independent experts urged a fair investigation into the conduct of Indian authorities, saying protesters had been injured and some reported ill-treatment.
According to the statement, "protesters have been injured, some have reported ill-treatment. The experts are particularly concerned by reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during the protests and related detentions."
The UN experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises, but operate independently of the body.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with other opposition parties and student organizations, has led protests this month demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after 130 million names were removed from the voter rolls.
Protest groups say the deletions disproportionately affect the poor, the homeless and ethnic minority groups, including Muslims — a group less likely to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The BJP and the Election Commission of India reject the allegations. The Election Commission says it is removing duplicate, deceased, relocated or ineligible voters, and that anyone wrongly removed can appeal.
'Force deployed'
The UN experts said: "Despite the non-violent nature of the gatherings, law enforcement agencies reportedly deployed force against unarmed students, including the use of so-called lathi blows by police, and prevented thousands of people from joining protests."
Lathi blows are a coordinated police tactic using batons to disperse crowds.
The group of experts said: "We call on the authorities to immediately end the use of excessive force, repeal blanket prohibitions on assembly and refrain from abusing digital surveillance, including through biometrics, as well as internet disruption measures."
India has repeatedly rejected such criticism as interference in its internal affairs, including after the UN Human Rights Office earlier this month expressed concern over mass detentions linked to the latest protests.
