Why can't Delhi have its own human rights panel, Supreme Court demands of Centre
The Capital does not have a State Human Rights Commission as it is not considered a state, but has a special status as the National Capital Territory.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Centre's reasoning behind considering Delhi ineligible to have a State Human Rights Commision since it is governed by the Centre as the National Capital Territory, reported The Hindu. In July 2015, an apex court bench had asked the central government to set up a state rights panel within six months.
“Be sensitive to the human rights needs of the people of Delhi. If Tripura and Manipur with just over 20 lakh population can have SHRCs... why can't Delhi, with over a crore citizens, not have one of its own,” Chief Justice of India TS Thakur observed. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who was representing the Centre, informed the court that the National Human Rights Commission is based out of Delhi and it can double up for the Capital as well.
The bench asked Rohatgi to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible. The court said that if the government fails to solve the issue, the bench will be compelled to pass a verdict on setting up an SHRC for the Capital.
