On 20 October 2026, a large number of UN special rapporteurs and experts as well as 4 important NGOs called on India to end the crackdown on peaceful protests and release arbitrarily detained protesters.
Alarmed by a repeatedly heavy-handed police response to peaceful youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi and other parts of the country over the past three months, UN experts and international NGOs ca;;ed on Indian authorities to respect, protect and fulfil the right to peacefully protest, and ensure justice for human rights violations reported during these and previous protests.
“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.” In March, 10 student and labour-rights activists were reportedly detained in New Delhi by plain-clothes police officers, held incommunicado for more than 24 hours, and allegedly subjected to ill-treatment, threats, coercion and forced declarations, before being released following habeas corpus proceedings.
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.
The experts raised concerns over reports that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) – or India’s criminal procedure code – has been invoked to impose broad bans on public gatherings, suspend public transportation and execute internet shutdowns.
“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.” The experts called for an independent, impartial, and thorough investigation into the conduct of law enforcement and affiliated forces to be launched without delay to ensure full accountability, justice, and victims’ reparations.
Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Front Line Defenders and South Asians for Human Rights also call on the Indian authorities to release everyone arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and ensure accountability for abuses by security forces.
On 10 October 2026, protests were called by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and backed by student groups calling for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner of India, following reports that the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls by the election commission removed around 130 million names from voter lists.
Arbitrary detentions continued on 11 October and there were reports of physical attacks by police on protesters in detention. Many women protesters and journalists accused security personnel of sexual harassment while detaining them during the protests.Right-wing vigilante groups were also seen threatening and assaulting protesters and journalists. Some of them harassed Muslim women journalists while they were covering the protests.
Nearly 40 journalists were detained over the two days. Some of them were physically assaulted, intimidated, and had their camera and mobile phones seized or destroyed despite showing their press identity cards. A group of lawyers who carried out a rally near the Supreme Court in support of protesters also faced unlawful force by police and some were detained briefly.
Instagram accounts of the news outlets Molitics and Journo Mirror have been blocked in India during its coverage of the protests citing Information Technology Rules.
On 10 October authorities also ordered a 24-hour mobile internet shutdown in central Delhi. Mobile internet was also reportedly blocked at eight stadiums used as detention centres, cutting detainees off from their lawyers and families. Reports also suggest that the shutdown was taking place beyond areas of protests and detention.
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