Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has disagreed with the government’s purported move to appoint retired Chief Justice S. Manikumar as State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairperson.
In a statement here, Mr. Satheesan said the Leader of the Opposition was a panel member mandated to select a person to the sensitive top post. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker A.N. Shamseer were the other two permanent members.
Mr. Satheesan alleged that the government forsook the political propriety of keeping the Leader of the Opposition in the loop and arbitrarily decided on an individual they liked.
Anti-democratic move
The government submitted no panel of candidates to the selection committee to make an informed choice. Instead, it chose to present a single name in the meeting. “The government action is anti-democratic, arbitrary and pregnant with political intrigue,” Mr. Satheesan said.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Manikumar’s actions as Chief Justice of the Kerala court had raised the question of whether he could discharge his duty as SHRC chairman in a non-partisan and just manner. Earlier, Mr. Satheesan had alleged a conflict of interest in the government hosting an official send-off for the outgoing Chief Justice.
