"Pathetic State Of Independent Org": TMC MP On UN Refusing To Accredit India's National Human Rights Commission

A United Nations linked body”s refused accreditation to India”s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), for the second year in a row, according to reports. Reacting to the development, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Saket Gokhale slammed the ruling Modi-government saying that this is the “shocking and pathetic state of a so-called independent institutions.”

In his post on X, the TMC leader further attributed the international organisation”s decision to the result of the NHRC acting as a wing of the BJP.  “This is what happens when a “Modi bhakt is given a post-retirement job as NHRC chief,” he said.

Recently, the United Nations-linked Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) deferred the accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission of India for the second year in a row. The international body had in its deferral last year cited several reasons including the lack of transparency in appointing members to the NHRC, the appointment of police officers to oversee human rights investigations, and the shortage of gender and minority representation on the member panel. The detailed report on the latest decision is yet to be released. 

However, calling it a “huge international embarrassment,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP said, “We have Modi and his filthy politics to thank for it. 

“NHRC teams are eagerly sent to Opposition states like Bengal to manufacture fake reports on directions of the BJP. And when it comes to human rights violations by BJP state governments, the NHRC goes silent. An independent institution that”s meant to protect fundamental human rights has become a tool of the BJP,” Saket Gokhale wrote in his post on X (formerly Twitter). 

The shocking & pathetic state of a so-called “independent institution” 👇

For the 2nd year in a row, the UN has refused accreditation to India”s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

This is what happens when a Modi bhakt is given a post-retirement job as NHRC chief & when… pic.twitter.com/dDRtQTUayt

— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) May 14, 2024

Notably, the decision of the UN to defer the accreditation for the second time in a row would adversely impact India”s ability to vote at the Human Rights Council and some UNGA wings. 

While the committee’s latest report is still awaited, its previous report cited a number of reasons for recommending the deferral, including the lack of transparency in appointing members to the NHRC, the appointment of police officers to oversee human rights investigations, and the lack of gender and minority representation on the member panel.

The NHRC was created under the Protection of Human Rights Act, passed by Parliament in 1993. The organization”s A status was only deferred once in 2016, but it was restored in 2017. This time marks the status suspended for two years together – in 2023 and 2024, The Hindu reported. 

According to the report in 2023, NHRC failed to create a circumstance in which the body can operate without government intervention or independently. The committee then criticised India for police engagement in its investigation, in addition to pointing out the lack of diversity in leadership and staffers.