Organizing a press conference on Thursday, the staffers, mostly hired on contract basis, accused the NHRC members of defaming the commission and affecting the human rights body´s efforts to protect and promote human rights by giving "objectionable" statements to the media. [break]
"We the staffers tried our best to settle the issues internally but they rejected our requests. As they continued to defame the commission, we made irregularities in the NHRC public through the media," read the statement issued by staffers.
Pathak and Rokaya are against their contract and have pushed for a free and open competition to recruit personnel.
The staffers have also accused Pathak of appointing her personal assistant without informing the commission. When asked why they didn´t inform about similar appointments made by Chairman Kedar Nath Upadhyay, they were tight-lipped.
Upadhyay has appointed his daughter as his personal assistant. Ironically, the very appointment of the staffers, who called the press meet, has been questioned by the Supreme Court.
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