New Delhi: Activists Monday opposed the proposed amendments to the Right to Information Act exempting political parties from its purview. At a press conference here, the activists condemned “the hasty and opaque manner in which the government and parties are moving amendments to the RTI Act, which will provide blanket exemptions to political parties from the transparency regime of the country”.
The cabinet cleared amendments to the RTI Act, which will be introduced during the ongoing monsoon session of parliament. The move to amend the act was a reaction to a Central Information Commission order which declared six political parties to be public authorities under the RTI Act. “Public pressure had prevented amendments being brought in as an ordinance,” RTI activist Aruna Roy said. She stated that it was unacceptable that political parties were not initiating any public discussion on this issue and were moving amendments in a unilateral manner. (IANS)