Lucknow: On the 20th anniversary of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Dr. C.P. Rai, Chairman of the Media Department of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister, addressed a press conference at the UP Congress Committee headquarters, alleging that the BJP government has undermined transparency and facilitated large-scale corruption.
Dr. Rai recalled that the historic RTI Act, enacted on 12 October 2005 under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, empowered citizens to access information from public authorities, making governance more transparent and accountable. He emphasized that RTI has been a lifeline for marginalized communities, helping them claim rightful pensions, wages, scholarships, and other essential benefits.
However, he criticized the post-2014 erosion of the law, highlighting key concerns:
1. Attacks on the Law:
- 2019 Amendments weakened the autonomy of Central and State Information Commissions, giving the government authority over tenure and service conditions of commissioners, undermining independence.
- 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act & Section 44(3) expanded the definition of “personal information,” restricting public disclosure even of information related to public funds, threatening transparency in cases like PM CARES, MGNREGA misuse, and political funding.
2. Attacks on Commissions:
- Vacancies and Inactivity: The Central Information Commission is at its weakest with only two of eleven sanctioned positions filled, and the Chief Commissioner post currently vacant. Several State Commissions remain inactive, affecting oversight.
- Pending Cases: Nearly 4,05,000 appeals and complaints were pending across 29 state commissions by June 2024, almost double compared to 2019.
3. Attacks on Individuals:
- RTI activists like Shahla Masood and Satish Shetty, who exposed illegal activities, were murdered, highlighting the dangers faced by whistleblowers.
- Despite the passage of the Whistleblowers Protection Act, it remains unenforced, leaving activists and citizens vulnerable.
Dr. Rai urged the government to take corrective measures, including repealing the 2019 amendments, revising restrictive provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, filling vacancies transparently, enforcing performance standards for commissions, fully implementing whistleblower protection, and ensuring diverse representation in commissions.
He concluded, “RTI is one of modern India’s most important democratic reforms. Its weakening reflects the weakening of democracy itself. On its 20th anniversary, the Congress reiterates its commitment to protect and empower RTI so that every citizen can ask questions fearlessly and receive timely, effective answers.”
Additional Statement: Dr. Sudha Mishra, UP Congress spokesperson, strongly condemned the prevention of female journalists at a press conference by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, calling it an insult to half the population of India.
The press conference was attended by senior Congress leaders, including Manish Srivastava Hindvi, Dr. Umashankar Pandey, Dr. Sudha Mishra, Sachin Rawat, Pushpendra Srivastava, and Zainab Haider.
