Congress demands the strengthening of RTI, accusing BJP of weakening it

New -delhi, October 12 (IANS). Congressional Anil Bhardwaj at a press conference on Sunday at the 20th anniversary of the Law of Information Act (RTI) called it a historical step for India’s democracy. He said that this law, which was introduced on October 12, 2005, led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi led by the UPA government and the then prime minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the basis of constitutional and social empowerment of Indian citizens. This act was a strong weapon in making democracy transparent and accountable, which played an important role in bringing the operation of the government before the public. Anil Bhardwaj said that the RTI law contributed to making India’s democracy one of the strongest models in the world. The UPA government came to power until 2014, continuously used to make this law more efficient. “Our government has always ensured that information contained in government files is made available to the public and thus increases administrative transparency,” he said. He accused the BJP-led NDA government of weakening RTI. He claimed that the government has been trying to weaken this Public Interest Act since 2014. Under the 2019 RTI amendment, the term of office of the Information Commissioners, which was set earlier five years and their conditions of employment was safe, has now been placed under the government. This affected the autonomy of the Information Commission. Anil Bhardwaj also referred to section 43 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), which prohibits the part of personal information. He calls it against the objectives of the public interest of RTI. He said: “This government is trying to weaken the basis of democracy by weakening RTI. The interference of the executive affects the independence of this law.” On this occasion, Congress made two great demands. First, the original provisions must be restored by recalling the 2019 RTI amendment, so that the term of office and conditions of service of the Information Commissioners are again protected. Second, section 43 of the DPDP Act must be reviewed and amended, which weakens the objectives of the public interest of RTI. Bhardwaj emphasized that RTI is not only a law, but that it is a way of empowerment for the citizens of India. –Is AKS/DKP Share these Story Tags