Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna is likely to be appointed a member of the National Human Rights Commissions soon, PTI reported on Sunday. Quoting officials it did not identify, the news agency said the decision was taken by a panel comprising the Lok Sabha speaker, the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders of Opposition in both houses of Parliament along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is “perhaps the first time” a politician has been appointed to the NHRC, PTI added. The commission is chaired by the chief justice of India, and its four full-time members should be two judges or two people who have expertise in the field of human rights.
According to The Indian Express, the post Khanna is likely to fill has been vacant for two years. However, the decision, which has not been announced officially, has drawn criticism already. A member of the NHRC who did not wish to be identified told the English daily that to appoint a political office-bearer to the commission “sends the wrong signal”. Swaraj Abhiyan leader Prashant Bhushan said the move reflected the Narendra Modi government’s “decimation of all accountability institutions”.
Khanna has previously served as a member of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, and currently heads the BJP’s Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir units. He is also the vice-chairman of the Indian Red Cross society.
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