Two dozen United Nations experts have urged India to stop using excessive force on protesters and called for an independent investigation into a recent crackdown.

Police reportedly used lathi charges on unarmed students and stopped thousands from joining the protests, even though they were peaceful, the experts said on Tuesday.

According to their statement, some demonstrators were injured and others said they had been subjected to ill-treatment.

The experts asked the authorities to lift blanket bans on assembly and stop misusing digital surveillance, including biometrics, and internet shutdowns.

Opposition parties and student groups held the protests this month, demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign over a revision of voter lists.

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls removed 130 million names. Protesters say eligible voters were cut, with poor people and minorities including Muslims hit hardest.

The BJP and the Election Commission deny this. The commission says it removed duplicate, dead, shifted and ineligible voters, and anyone wrongly excluded can appeal.

India has repeatedly dismissed this kind of criticism as interference in its internal affairs. Its embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Reuters.

A nationwide protest against the roll revision is planned for Friday, led by Parakala Prabhakar, Prakash Raj and Abhijeet Dipke, The Hindu reported.

Read the full article for more on the UN experts' statement on India.