NextFin news, New Delhi, Sunday, October 12, 2025 – Congress leaders sharply criticized the Narendra Modi-led government on the 20th anniversary of the Right to Information (RTI) Act for systematically weakening the law, which was originally enacted to empower citizens and promote transparency in governance.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the government for eroding the RTI Act over the past 11 years, stating that these actions have hollowed out democracy and citizens’ fundamental rights. Kharge highlighted key government moves such as the 2019 amendments that brought the tenure and pay of Information Commissioners under government control, effectively reducing their independence.
Kharge also pointed to the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which he said gutted the RTI’s public interest clause by prioritizing privacy, thereby enabling the government to shield corruption and avoid scrutiny. He noted that the Central Information Commission has frequently operated without a Chief Information Commissioner and currently has eight vacancies unfilled for over 15 months, paralyzing the appeals process.
“A chilling ‘no data available’ doctrine now prevails,” Kharge said, accusing the government of withholding information on critical issues such as COVID-19 deaths, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, All India Survey on Higher Education (ASUSE), and the PM CARES Fund. He further highlighted that since 2014, over 100 RTI activists have been murdered, creating a climate of fear that suppresses dissent and punishes truth-seekers.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed these concerns, listing instances where RTI disclosures contradicted official government claims, including controversies over the Prime Minister’s degree, fake ration cards, demonetization meetings, non-performing assets, and black money repatriation. Ramesh warned that the DPDP Act’s exemption of personal information from RTI threatens to abolish the law’s effectiveness unless reviewed and amended.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also criticized the 2019 amendments for weakening the independence of Information Commissioners and flagged the DPDP Act for broadly categorizing critical public data as private, undermining public audit and scrutiny.
The Congress party demanded restoration of the RTI Act’s original spirit by ensuring the independence of Information Commissions, filling vacancies promptly, amending the DPDP Act, protecting RTI users and whistleblowers, and including journalists, activists, and women in the commissions.
The RTI Act, enacted in 2005 by the Congress-led UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, was hailed as a landmark law to promote transparency and accountability. However, opposition parties and civil society have increasingly raised concerns about legislative and administrative changes under the Modi government that have weakened the law’s effectiveness and independence.
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