OTTAWA — The incoming chief of the Canadian Human Rights Commission has announced today he’s resigning from his role.
Birju Dattani released a brief statement on LinkedIn days after Justice Minister Arif Virani said he was reviewing the results of the independent review into his appointment.
Prominent Jewish advocacy organizations raised concerns about Dattani’s appointment shortly after he was named to the role back in June, based on anti-Israel social media posts he made under a different name while attending graduate school nearly a decade ago.
Dattani was set to assume his role last Thursday, but Virani’s office released a statement the day before saying he had agreed to take leave while he considered the results of an independent probe.
In a new post on LinkedIn, Dattani says he has “agreed to resign” from his role but remains a “steadfast believer” in the work of the commission.
He also includes a letter he says he received from Virani on July 31 in which the minister says he had “significant concerns related to your candour during the process that led to your appointment.”
National Post
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