United Nations human rights experts have called on Indian authorities to end the alleged excessive use of force against peaceful, youth-led protests, investigate reported rights violations and guarantee the right to public assembly, following three months of demonstrations in New Delhi and other parts of the country.
The experts said the police response reflected a recurring pattern of restrictions on peaceful protest, arbitrary detention and the targeting of student activists. They urged the government to ensure accountability for alleged abuses during recent demonstrations and earlier protests, warning that the measures reported by protesters raised concerns about India’s obligations under international human rights law.
“This crackdown reflects a broader, troubling pattern,” the experts said. “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.”
Hundreds of thousands of students and their supporters have reportedly gathered peacefully in different parts of India over recent months to oppose government decisions concerning the education system. More recently, demonstrations have also focused on voter-roll deletions affecting 130 million individuals, reportedly belonging to the Muslim minority, Scheduled Castes and Tribes. The protests have drawn students, journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and political party members into confrontations with law enforcement agencies.
According to the UN experts, the demonstrations have largely remained non-violent, yet police have reportedly used force against unarmed participants. The measures cited include lathi charges, in which police use batons, as well as actions that prevented thousands of people from joining protests. The experts called on the authorities to respect, protect and fulfil the right to peaceful assembly rather than respond to demonstrations with force or broad restrictions.
The reported detentions have been a particular source of concern. More than 7,000 young people, journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and members of political parties were recently arbitrarily detained in New Delhi and transferred to remote detention centres, according to information received by the experts. Their phones were allegedly confiscated, and protest-related material was reportedly deleted. Most detainees, including protest leaders, were released after 24 hours.
The experts also highlighted an earlier incident in March involving 10 student and labour-rights activists who were reportedly detained in New Delhi by plain-clothes police officers. The activists were allegedly held incommunicado for more than 24 hours and subjected to ill-treatment, threats, coercion and forced declarations. They were released following habeas corpus proceedings, a legal process through which the lawfulness of a person’s detention can be challenged.
Reports of injuries and ill-treatment among protesters have added to the concerns. The experts expressed particular alarm over allegations of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse during demonstrations and related detentions. They called for particular attention to be paid to the gender-specific consequences of restrictions on peaceful assembly and to alleged reprisals against those taking part in protests.
The experts also questioned the reported use of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), India’s criminal procedure code, to impose wide-ranging restrictions on public gatherings. According to the information they received, the measures have included broad bans on assemblies, suspensions of public transportation and internet shutdowns. Such restrictions can affect not only demonstrators but also the ability of people to communicate, travel and participate in public life during periods of protest.
“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 restrictions on peaceful assembly must comply with established legal requirements: they must have a legal basis, pursue a legitimate aim, and be necessary and proportionate. The experts called on the authorities to stop using excessive force immediately, withdraw blanket bans on public gatherings and refrain from misusing digital surveillance, including biometric systems, or disrupting internet access.
Their concerns extend beyond the immediate policing of demonstrations to the treatment of those seeking to document, challenge or provide legal assistance in response to alleged violations. The reported detention of journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders, alongside students and political activists, places the conduct of law enforcement at the centre of the experts’ demand for an independent investigation.
They called for an independent, impartial and thorough inquiry into the conduct of law enforcement personnel and affiliated forces to begin without delay. The investigation, they said, must establish accountability, deliver justice and provide reparations to victims of human rights violations.
“The Government must guarantee non-recurrence and uphold the democratic right of students and others to assemble and express grievances,” the experts said. “Particular attention must be paid to the gender-specific impact of restrictions on peaceful assembly and reprisals against protesters.”
