Tamil Nadu revokes RTI exemption for Law and Order Dept
The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn a notification that would have exempted the Law and Order Department from RTI, following massive public backlash.
In a swift U-turn, the Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn a controversial Gazette notification that sought to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The decision to revoke the order came just hours after it was issued, following intense criticism from political leaders and the public.
The attempt to shield police data
The original government notification had classified the Law and Order Department as an Intelligence and Security Organisation. This classification would have effectively blocked citizens from accessing critical information through RTI applications. Under the proposed exemption, sensitive details regarding several key areas would have been shielded from public scrutiny, including:
- Reports on communal incidents and caste clashes.
- Details surrounding police custody deaths and deaths of remand prisoners.
- Inquiry reports concerning police firing.
- Matters related to torture and security-related detention cases.
- Requests for the withdrawal of politically sensitive cases.
Political backlash: "A bad precedent"
The move drew sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum. Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram expressed strong disapproval of the initial attempt to restrict transparency. He reminded the administration that the RTI Act was originally introduced by the UPA government specifically to bolster democratic accountability.
Chidambaram highlighted that the Law and Order Department manages vital information that the public has a right to know. He argued that shielding matters like custodial deaths and police firing reports is contrary to the principles of transparent governance. "RTI must be expanded, not restricted," he stated on X.
Following the government's decision to retract the notification, Chidambaram welcomed the rollback. He offered what he termed "friendly advice" to the Tamil Nadu government and the Chief Minister's Office, suggesting that they should not allow bureaucrats to dictate the direction and tone of the administration.
BJP slams the "undemocratic" move
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan also voiced her opposition, questioning why the department felt the need to avoid public oversight. She suggested that the attempt to bypass the RTI Act indicated a fear of accountability and legal scrutiny.
"If you are free and fair, why are you afraid of RTI?" Soundararajan asked, describing the pattern of attempting to exempt departments from transparency as undemocratic and something that should be highly condemned.
The Right to Information Act, 2005, remains a landmark piece of legislation enacted by the Indian Parliament, ensuring that citizens have the legal right to access various government records to ensure a functioning democracy.