Congress leader Kharge dissociates himself from process of selection of NHRC chairperson, members
New Delhi, Jun 1: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi dissociating himself from the process of selection of the new chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission.
During the meeting of the Appointments Committee for the appointment to the post of chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission held on Monday evening at the prime minister's residence here, Kharge placed on record his views on the committee's decision to recommend a panel of names for the selection to the post of chairperson and members of the NHRC.
"I had reiterated in today's meeting my concern over the rise in the cases of atrocities on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities and proposed that at least one person belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minorities be recommended for appointment either to the post of Chairperson under Section 3(2)(a) or a member under Section 3(2)(c)or a member under Section 3(2)(d) to the National Human Rights Commission from amongst the existing list of candidates.
"I also pointed out that appointment of the Chairperson or a member to the NHRC cannot simply be ignored on the pretext that there is no specific provision to this effect in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 and amendments made. Obviously there cannot be any bar to appoint either Chairperson or member to the NHRC on this ground," he said in his letter.
Alternatively, the Congress leader proposed that if this is not feasible, the meeting may be postponed for a week and reconvened bringing before the Selection Committee the names of some candidates from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities so that one of these could be recommended for the appointment either for the post of chairperson or member of the NHRC.
"Since the Committee did not accept any of my proposals, I express my disagreement with the recommendations made by the Committee in regard to appointments to the posts of Chairperson and Members of NHRC," Kharge said in his letter to the prime minister.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
