UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday hit out strongly at the Narendra Modi government over its proposed legislation aimed at amending the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005, noting that the law now stands on the brink of extinction and that the present regime is disempowering each and every citizen of the country.
In a terse statement issued in her capacity as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Gandhi wrote about the amendment bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday: “It is a matter of utmost concern that the Central Government is hell-bent on completely subverting the historic Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. This law, prepared after wide-spread consultations and passed unanimously by Parliament, now stands on the brink of extinction,” she wrote.
The RTI Act was a result of the legislative measure proposed by the erstwhile National Advisory Council, which was in place during the UPA rule, and headed by Gandhi. It was recognised as one of the most important rights-based legislations brought in by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.
Gandhi's statement comes a day after the controversial amendment bill was passed by the Lok Sabha amidst vociferous protests by the opposition. Those opposed to the bill say that the proposed changes would weaken the RTI by compromising the independence of the information commissioners.
The opposition parties, including the Congress, have also protested against the government refusing to send legislations, including the RTI Amendment Bill, to select committees for further scrutiny, and accused the present regime of rushing bills without adequate notice to the MPs and parliamentary oversight.
In the statement, Gandhi noted that over the past decade, RTI has been used by 60 lakh people and said it had helped usher in a new culture of transparency and accountability in administration at all levels. “The foundations of our democracy have, as a result, been strengthened immeasurably. The weaker sections of society have benefitted greatly by the proactive use of RTI by activists and others,” she said.
Gandhi claimed that the Modi regime sees the RTI Act as a nuisance and wants to destroy the status and independence of the Central Information Commission, which was put on par with the Central Election Commission and Central Vigilance Commission. “The Central government may use its legislative majority to achieve its aims, but in the process it would be disempowering each and every citizen of our country,” Gandhi said.