NEW DELHI: Government on Thursday issued a strong refutation of leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi‘s reported “dissent”, asserting that the Congress neta’s claim that there was absence of names from marginalised communities in the list discussed for filling vacancies of Central Information Commission (CIC) and information commissioners, has fallen flat.The three-member panel including PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah and Gandhi held a meeting on Wednesday and finalised the names. A notification was awaited till late on Thursday evening.Regarding the eight vacancies considered on Wednesday for appointment as information commissioners, as per sources, Centre recommended one SC, one ST, one OBC, one minority representative and one woman.“Overall, five out of the eight recommended names were from disadvantaged sections. In light of these facts, Gandhi’s claims do not hold up,” govt sources said, claiming that the reports based on sources close to the Congress leadership were false and another attempt to misguide people. TOI also carried the report based on the information given by sources close to Congress leadership.“Gandhi’s claims have fallen flat as CIC appointments tell a different story. As per reports in media, at the meeting to select information commissioners, Gandhi recorded his dissent, alleging that the shortlists did not include names from SC, ST, OBC, EBC communities. He is reported to have claimed there was a ‘systematic pattern’ of excluding SC, ST, OBC, EBC and minority communities from appointments to constitutional and autonomous institutions,” the sources said. But facts present a different picture, sources added.Govt said the CIC was established in 2005, and from 2005 to 2014, during the UPA govt’s tenure, not a single person from the SC/ST community was appointed as either a member or the chairperson of the commission. It was the NDA govt in 2018 that appointed Suresh Chandra, a member of the ST community, to the commission, they said.“In 2020, Heeralal Samariya was appointed information commissioner, and in 2023, he became the CIC – the first-ever CIC from the SC community,” a govt official said.The three-member panel met on Wednesday to appoint the CIC, eight information commissioners (ICs) and a vigilance commissioner. However, Gandhi is learnt to have registered his dissent and strongly objected to the near absence of names from SC, ST and OBC communities, which has been rebutted by govt.Congress sources claimed the issue is likely to be a key talking point in the upcoming mega rally against “vote chori” being organised by the opposition party on Dec 14.
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