The dispute between two panels: Chairman Kedar Nath Upadhyaya, including members Ram Nagina Singh and Gauri Pradhan, on one side and members Dr KB Rokaya and Dr Leela Pathak on the other has been hitting the NHRC hard.[break]
Dissatisfied from Upadhyaya’s panel, Rokaya and Pathak submitted a memorandum to the president Wednesday urging the latter to take “appropriate” step in the capacity of the NHRC patron.
In the memorandum, the member duo has drawn the attention of the president to the umpteenth problems that NHRC has been facing for long. They have mentioned that NHRC has been left “apathetic” and “sans responsibilities” as it is plagued with weak leadership, inefficient management and opaque, biased, corrupt and law-flouting administration. “NHRC’s deeds have deviated towards fulfilling partisan interests of few officials rather than working in the interest of the people and the country,” the memorandum read.
Issuing a statement after the submission of the memorandum, the duo said, “The president is deeply concerned, especially over the NHRC paying no heed to Supreme Court’s order [relating to continuation of the contract of the temporary staffs]. He assured us that no one has the right to trample the rule of law.”
Expressing concern over seminars and workshops being organized by the NHRC in star hotels every month, the duo said, “We are skeptical if such programs will prove to be instrumental in addressing cases of human rights violations including violence against women and children, murder, abduction and impunity.”
They claimed that they had even apprised the parliamentary committee on international relations and human rights of the problems and anomalies at the NHRC.
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