24 UN Experts Condemned BJP-led Indian Crackdown on Peaceful Protesters

Online Desk: Twenty-four United Nations experts have condemned the BJP-led Indian government’s crackdown on protesters, expressing alarm over repeated heavy-handed police responses to peaceful, youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi and other parts of India over the past three months. The experts have urged Indian authorities to end the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters, respect, protect and fulfil the right to peaceful protest, and investigate reported human rights violations during recent demonstrations to ensure accountability and justice.The experts include 16 special reporters’ and independent human rights experts, along with chairs and co-chairs of working groups. In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, they said, “This crackdown reflects a broader, troubling pattern.”“We have repeatedly alerted the Indian authorities to undue restrictions on peaceful assembly, excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of student activists, amongst others,” they said.“Over the last months, hundreds of thousands of students and their supporters have been gathering peacefully to protest in different parts of the country against Government decisions regarding the education system, and more recently, voter-roll deletions which affect 130 million individuals, reportedly belonging to the Muslim minority, Scheduled Castes and Tribes.”“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 experts said.They added that more than 7,000 youths, journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and members of political parties had recently been arbitrarily detained in New Delhi and taken to remote detention centres, where their phones were allegedly seized and all protest-related material deleted.Most of those detained, including protest leaders, were released 24 hours later, the statement said.The experts said they had received reports of injuries and ill-treatment among protesters. They also expressed particular concern over reports of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during demonstrations and related detentions.They further raised concerns over the reported use of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, India’s criminal procedure code, to impose broad bans on public gatherings, suspend public transportation and shut down internet services.“These actions violate India’s core international legal obligations, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, liberty, security of the person, and the right to defend human rights,” the experts said.They stressed that any restrictions on peaceful assembly must have a legal basis, pursue a legitimate aim, and be necessary and proportionate.The experts urged Indian authorities to immediately cease using excessive force, rescind blanket bans on public assemblies, refrain from misusing digital surveillance, including biometric technologies, and stop disrupting internet services.They also called for an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the conduct of law enforcement agencies and affiliated forces. They said the investigation should begin without delay to ensure full accountability, justice and reparations for victims.