Appearing before the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Departments of Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, the AG said political parties should accept the Central Information Commission’s June 3 ruling bringing them within the purview of RTI Act, disregarding the argument that subjecting them to RTI would render political parties vulnerable to harassment or embarrassment.
BJP had opposed the bill which was brought to negate the CIC order, resulting in the matter being referred to the standing committee.
There have also been indications that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may oppose the move as a follow-up to his assault on the ordinance for convicted politicians. In fact, individual ministers like Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, have already opposed the legislation in their “personal” capacity.
Loading ...The source said he cited of Sections 2 (providing among others the definition of public authority) and 8 (exemption from disclosure of information) of the RTI Act to observe that these would cushion political parties against harassment.
Considering the emergence of a new constituency which values transparency and accountability, should the government withdraw the bill?
After all, the goal of the political parties are to boost welfare of public, to serve the interest of a common man. Do you feel the politicians are treating political parties as their fiefdom?
Do they oppose the move to conceal “making money on the name of political parties”? Or, shielding them from RTI activists would help the country in a bigger perspective?
Share your opinion.
