NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the BJP government over proposed changes to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, saying they will render the law useless.
Every Indian deserves to know the truth and the BJP wants to hide the truth. The BJP believes the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in power. The changes proposed to the RTI will make it a useless Act, Mr. Gandhi said on Twitter.
The government said on Wednesday it is considering a proposal to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, to frame rules on salaries and services of chief information commissioner and information commissioners.
Leaders of various political parties on July 18 said they have committed to fight any “attempt” by the Centre to “dilute” the act and oppose any amendment s to it.
Rahul Gandhi tagged a letter by the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, which has challenged the amendments on grounds that thy undermine the independence of information commissions.
The government’s plan to amend the RTI Act is facing criticism from the Opposition who have committed to fight any “attempt” by the Centre to “dilute” the RTI Act and oppose any amendments to it.
Proposing the changed in the RTI Act, the government has asserted that the functions carried out by the Election Commission are completely different from those carried out by information officials.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri had also opposed the move yesterday and said that the RTI Act came into existence from people’s struggle and his party would work within Parliament and outside it to ensure that no amendment was made to it.
Many RTI activists have strongly opposed amendments to the RTI Act saying they are aimed at lowering the stature of Information Commissions from equivalent to the Election Commission (EC) and to do away with their five years fixed tenure.
