Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, the party’s national president, and Rahul Gandhi, Member of Parliament, have raised objections to the appointment process of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson and members. The party has alleged that the selection process was flawed and predetermined, claiming that mutual consultations and consensus were ignored during the decision-making process.
Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had proposed the names of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice K.M. Joseph for the role of NHRC chairperson. However, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, a former Supreme Court judge, was ultimately selected for the position. Congress has criticized the decision, accusing the government of failing to maintain balance in terms of region, religion, and caste during the appointment.
The party also recommended Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice Aqil Abdul Hamid Qureshi as potential members of the NHRC, emphasizing their strong track record in human rights advocacy. Despite these recommendations, the government’s appointments were seen as reflecting a unilateral perspective, according to Congress.
Before Justice V. Ramasubramanian’s appointment, the position of NHRC chairperson had been vacant for months. Justice Arun Kumar Mishra’s tenure ended on June 1, leaving Vijay Bharti Saini as the acting chairperson during the interim period.
As per protocol, the selection of the NHRC chairperson is made by a committee chaired by the Prime Minister, which includes the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The President appoints the NHRC chairperson upon the recommendation of this high-powered committee. The latest meeting of this committee took place on December 18, with both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge participating as the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively.
On Monday, the NHRC officially announced the appointments. Justice V. Ramasubramanian has been named as chairperson, while Priyank Kanoongo and Justice Vidyut Ranjan Sarangi have been appointed as members. Priyank Kanoongo previously served as the chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The NHRC, a central human rights institution, comprises a chairperson and five members, including at least one woman. The chairperson serves a five-year term. Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the exclusion of its proposed candidates, highlighting the diversity of their recommendations, which included Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman from the Parsi community and Justice Kuttianil Mathew Joseph from the Christian community.
