Vijay Govt Revokes RTI Exemption for Law and Order Dept After Backlash
The Department was recently classified as an Intelligence and Security Organisation as per the Gazette notification under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act made by the state government
The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its controversial order to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, dated September 21, after the order received considerable backlash from the Opposition, alliance parties and media. The now-retracted exemption order was issued on the ground that the Public (Law and Order) Department is an Intelligence and Security Organisation.
The Department, which deals with, among other matters, police custodial deaths, custodial torture, and the deaths of remand prisoners, was classified as an Intelligence and Security Organisation as per the Gazette notification under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act made by the state government.
Prior to the revocation, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan had termed the gazette notification "highly shocking," warning it would "pave the way for suppressing human rights," and had strongly demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also flagged the initial decision, stating it set a "bad precedent" and maintaining that the scope of the RTI Act must be expanded rather than restricted. Had the order remained in force, the exemption would have blocked RTI access to records concerning inquiries into police torture, custodial deaths, police firings, communal clashes, and security-related detentions, he argued. The Sivaganga Lok Sabha MP later welcomed the government revoking the controversial GO.
Earlier in the day, School Eductaion Minister A Rajmohan attempted to defend the initial curb, asserting that while freedom of expression would not be affected, its "Lakshman Rekha" should be kept in mind.