The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to explain why six out of seven posts at the National Commission for Minorities were lying vacant, reported PTI.
A single judge Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh directed the Ministry of Minorities Affairs to file a status report within 10 days in reply to a plea for filling up the posts. After Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said the Prime Minister’s Office had no role in the appointment process, the High Court removed it from the respondents list, according to Bar and Bench.
“The National Commission for Minorities cannot protect the interests of minorities communities without its chairperson, member Buddhist, Christian, Parsi, Sikh and Jain,” the plea read. The petition also contended that the deliberate non-filling up of positions at the Commission was a violation of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1922.
The plea also claimed that without a proper quorum the Commission was unable to provide remedies to minority communities.
The Additional Solicitor General said that the vice chairperson was in charge of the Commission, and that the official was visiting various states. However, the court said: “But there cannot be so many vacancies.”
The case will be heard again on March 8.
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