India urged to cease 'use of excessive force' to curb protests

WASHINGTON: United Nations experts called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into Indian authorities' conduct in a recent crackdown on protests, where they said demonstrators sustained injuries and some reported being subjected to ill-treatment.

Opposition parties and student organisations held protests in recent weeks, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over a revision of voter ​lists that they say favours Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mass protests also took place in the summer over exam-paper leaks and led to the resignation of the education minister.

"Despite the non-violent nature of the assemblies, law enforcement agencies have reportedly deployed force against unarmed students, including lathi charges, and have prevented thousands from joining the protests," the two dozen independent experts said, referring to batons used to break up crowds.

"We call on the authorities to immediately cease the use of excessive force, rescind blanket assembly bans and refrain from the misuse of digital surveillance, including through biometrics, and Internet disruptions."

India has dismissed such criticism and cast it as interference in its internal affairs, including when the UN human rights office this month expressed concerns over mass detentions over the latest protests.

The government said this month that law enforcement acted "strictly in accordance with the law".

Protesting groups said the removal of 130 million names from voter lists led to eligible voters being disenfranchised, which disproportionately affected poor and homeless people, as well as ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are unlikely to vote for the Hindu nationalist BJP.

The BJP ​and the Election Commission deny this.

The commission said it was removing duplicate, deceased, shifted and otherwise ineligible voters and that anyone excluded in error could pursue appeals.