Modi Government Trying to Dismantle RTI Act, Alleges Congress
Congress says BJP is systematically weakening the Right to Information law to hide inconvenient truths.
New Delhi: The Congress party has strongly accused the Modi-led central government of deliberately working to dilute and dismantle the Right to Information (RTI) Act, calling it a systematic attack on transparency and accountability. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh made the remarks during a press conference held on October 12, marking the 20th anniversary of the RTI Act, which was enacted in 2005 under the UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Jairam Ramesh said, “The purpose of this revolutionary law was to bring transparency in governance and hold the system accountable. But the Modi government has tried to weaken it, especially through amendments in 2019 that significantly reduced the powers of the Central Information Commission (CIC).”
Digital Data Law Could Be the Final Blow to RTI
He also raised alarm over the recently passed Digital Personal Data Protection Act, pointing out that a particular provision in the Act could be used to override the RTI Act.
“If implemented in its current form, this law could effectively become the death knell for RTI,” Ramesh warned. He referred specifically to Section 44(3) of the data protection law, which states that no personal data can be disclosed under RTI. “This clause can easily be misused to deny public information by labeling it as ‘personal’,” he explained.
CIC Left Defunct
Ramesh highlighted that the CIC currently has only two members, with the Chief Information Commissioner and seven other positions lying vacant. “The CIC headquarters looks like a haunted house today,” he said, calling it a reflection of the government’s disregard for transparency.
‘Five Reasons Modi Government Fears RTI’
Ramesh outlined five major reasons why he believes the Modi government wants to weaken the RTI Act:
- The CIC had ordered disclosure of PM Modi’s educational qualifications under RTI.
- Modi’s claim about millions of fake ration cards was contradicted by data obtained through RTI.
- RTI revealed that just four hours before the 2016 demonetisation, the RBI board had warned that it would not help curb black money or fake currency.
- Someone filed an RTI asking for the list of the country’s top 20 willful loan defaulters, making the government uncomfortable.
- RTI exposed that no black money was brought back from abroad, contrary to Modi’s promises before the 2014 elections.
Congress Demands Amendments to Data Law
Jairam Ramesh said he has written to the Union Minister for Information Technology, urging the government to amend the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, to ensure it does not undermine the RTI Act.
He concluded, “People in public office cannot hide behind the excuse of ‘personal data’ to avoid accountability. RTI is a tool of democracy, and weakening it is an attack on the people’s right to know.”
