UN experts call on India to stop using ‘excessive force’ against protesters

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters. Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026.

Key points

• UN experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises but are independent of the organisation itself.
• UN experts have called on the Indian administration to stop the apply of "excessive force" after the crackdown on opposition and student protests in India.
• The protesting groups remarked the removal disproportionately affected poor and homeless residents as well as ethnic minorities including Muslims.
• The BJP and India's Election Commission deny the accusations.
• Lathi charges are coordinated movements by a policing force using sticks to disperse crowds.

In an official note on Tuesday, the two dozen independent experts pressed for an impartial investigation into Indian authorities' conduct, saying that demonstrators had sustained injuries and some documented being subjected to ill-treatment.

"Protesters have sustained injuries, with some reporting being subjected to ill-treatment. The experts expressed particular concern regarding reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse in the protests and related detentions, " according to the statement.

After 130 million names were removed from voter lists, india's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with other opposition parties and student organisations, has led protests this month demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

For context, the protesting groups remarked the removal disproportionately affected poor and homeless residents as well as ethnic minorities including Muslims. This person are unlikely to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In practice, the BJP and India's Election Commission deny the accusations. The Election Commission remarked it was removing duplicate, deceased, shifted and otherwise ineligible voters and that anyone excluded in error can pursue appeals.

"Despite the non-violent nature of the assemblies, law enforcement agencies have reportedly deployed force against unarmed students including by means of police so-called lathi charges, and have prevented thousands from joining the protests, " the UN experts remarked.

"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, " they continued.

India has repeatedly dismissed such criticism and cast it as interference in the country's internal affairs, including when the UN human rights office earlier this month expressed reservations over mass detentions in relation to the latest protests.

For now, UN experts call on India to stop using 'excessive force' against protesters remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.