Three United Nations human rights experts have sought a detailed response from the Indian government over allegations that tens of millions of names were removed from electoral rolls during a nationwide revision process, disproportionately affecting Muslims, Bengalis and other minority communities.
In a formal communication dated May 1, the independent experts raised concerns about the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of voter lists in nine states and three union territories. The letter focused particularly on West Bengal, where state elections were held on April 23 and 29.
The communication was signed by Nicolas Levrat, the special rapporteur on minority issues; Irene Khan, the special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression; and Nazila Ghanea, the special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council. They do not speak on behalf of the United Nations as an organisation, but are mandated to investigate and report on human rights concerns.
The experts said they had received allegations that about 52 million names were removed from electoral rolls across the 12 states and union territories covered by the revision exercise. They said West Bengal was particularly affected, with an estimated 9.1 million names reportedly deleted from its voter register.
The figures were presented as allegations received by the experts and were not independently verified in the communication.
The experts said some affected voters reported being excluded despite providing valid identity documents. They also cited claims that Muslims were disproportionately affected by the revision.
In the Nandigram constituency, the letter said, Muslims allegedly accounted for 95% of the deleted names despite making up about 25% of the electorate. Those affected reportedly included men, women and elderly Indian citizens holding valid identification documents.
The experts said minor spelling inconsistencies in official documents were allegedly used as grounds for deleting some names. They also raised concerns over reports that an artificial intelligence-based system was used to flag supposed irregularities in voter data.
The reported use of AI raised questions about transparency, errors and possible bias in a process that could determine whether citizens were allowed to vote, the experts said. They warned that automated decision-making in such a high-stakes electoral process could exclude legitimate voters and undermine electoral fairness.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of discriminatory mass disenfranchisement, saying the revision was intended to remove deceased, duplicate, fake and otherwise ineligible voters from the rolls. India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has also described the exercise as a routine administrative process, while arguing that undocumented migrants should not be included in voter registers.
During the West Bengal election, election officials said about 9 million names — roughly 12% of the state’s electorate — had been removed. The total included about 6.3 million people classified as deceased or absent and 2.7 million whose status remained doubtful or subject to verification.
The U.N. experts expressed concern about political rhetoric surrounding the revision, saying statements attributed to senior government figures appeared to portray Muslims and Bengalis as foreigners or illegal immigrants.
They said such rhetoric could encourage discriminatory attitudes and risk violating India’s obligations under international agreements protecting equality, minority rights and political participation.
The letter also referred to more than 3.4 million appeals arising from the West Bengal revision process. It said the number of cases and the short period available to decide them placed severe pressure on appellate tribunals before the elections.
The experts said the compressed timetable appeared to have left many appeals unresolved before voting took place, potentially preventing eligible citizens from participating.
India’s Supreme Court had reportedly allowed voters removed from the rolls to regain their voting rights if their appeals were approved before deadlines ahead of the two phases of polling. Those whose appeals remained pending were reportedly unable to vote.
The experts asked India to provide the exact number of names removed, the reasons for deletion and full details of objections, appeals and their outcomes.
They also sought data showing the religion and ethnicity of people excluded from the rolls, as well as information on safeguards intended to prevent discrimination against ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.
The letter asked the Indian government to explain whether affected voters were given a fair opportunity to challenge their exclusion and what legal remedies were available to people who were wrongly removed before the elections.
It also sought details of steps taken to ensure Muslims, Bengalis and other minority communities were not treated differently in determining voter eligibility.
The rapporteurs said that if the allegations were substantiated, they could amount to serious violations of international human rights obligations, including the right to vote without unreasonable or discriminatory restrictions.
They urged Indian authorities to take interim measures to halt any alleged violations, prevent their recurrence and ensure accountability if investigations found wrongdoing.
The experts said the communication and any response from the Indian government would be published through the U.N. special procedures reporting system. They added that they could issue a public statement because the allegations were considered sufficiently serious to require immediate attention.