UN experts urge India to end ‘excessive force’ against protesters.

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1150 EAT on Wednesday 21 October 2026

UN experts have urged the Indian government to end the use of “excessive force” against opposition and student protesters following a crackdown on demonstrations across the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the 24 independent experts called for an impartial investigation into the conduct of Indian authorities, saying demonstrators had sustained injuries and some reported being subjected to ill-treatment.

“Protesters have sustained injuries, with some reporting being subjected to ill-treatment. The experts expressed particular concern about reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during protests and related detentions,” the statement said.

UN experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights issues and crises. They serve independently of the United Nations.

India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), alongside other opposition parties and student organisations, has led protests this month calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation following the removal of 130 million names from voter lists.

The protesting groups say the deletions disproportionately affected poor and homeless people, as well as ethnic minorities, including Muslims, who are less likely to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP and India’s Election Commission have denied the allegations. The commission says it is removing duplicate entries, deceased voters, people who have moved and others deemed ineligible. It adds that anyone wrongly excluded from the lists can appeal the decision.

“We call on the authorities to immediately stop using excessive force, lift blanket bans on public gatherings, and refrain from misusing digital surveillance, including biometric data, and disrupting internet access,” the experts said.

India has repeatedly dismissed such criticism as interference in its internal affairs. Earlier this month, the government also faced scrutiny after the UN human rights office raised concerns over mass detentions linked to the latest protests.

-Aljazeera

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