United Nations experts urged India on Oct. 20 to open an independent inquiry into its response to months of youth protests as voter-list revisions spurred new demonstrations.
The 24 experts cited reports of injuries and ill-treatment among protesters. They also said police had reportedly hit unarmed students with batons and prevented thousands of people from joining demonstrations. The experts are appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council and serve independently.
Their appeal covered earlier protests over education as well as the more recent demonstrations over voter lists. Protest organizers want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, arguing that the revisions benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Protesters say 130 million names have been removed from the rolls. They allege that eligible voters have been left off and that the effects fall disproportionately on people living in poverty, people without housing, Muslims and members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
The Election Commission of India and the BJP deny political bias. The commission says the revision aims to remove ineligible entries and that people omitted from the rolls can seek inclusion.
The experts urged authorities to end excessive force and blanket bans on gatherings. They also warned against misuse of digital surveillance, including biometrics, and disruptions to internet access.
Amnesty International called for an end to the crackdown and the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in an Oct. 19 statement. Human Rights Watch urged an end to the crackdown and arbitrary detentions in an Oct. 13 statement.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Oct. 11, responding to earlier UN criticism, that law enforcement had acted “strictly in accordance with the law.” His remarks preceded the experts' Oct. 20 appeal.
In Delhi, the Election Commission has set Oct. 30 as the deadline for claims and objections to the voter lists, with decisions on those submissions due by Nov. 30.
