Amend Digital Personal Data Protection Act: INDIA bloc urges govt

The Opposition INDIA-bloc on Thursday urged the BJP-led government to repeal Section 44 (3) of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), saying the provision will destroy press freedom and citizens' rights.  The Opposition also said the provision in the Act infringes upon the "soul of Right to Information (RTI) Act" while leaving it disseminated.

The Digital Data Protection Act was passed in the Parliament by the government in 2023. The INDIA bloc today said it was passed in the Parliament "surreptitiously" when the House was discussing Manipur violence.

In a presser addressed by several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, bloc's leader Gogoi said nearly 120 MPs and leaders from opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, had jointly formed a petition which would be submitted to Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gogoi said after having read the implications of the provision in the Act, it was found that Section 44 (3) of the DPDP Act sought to substitute Section 8 (1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Earlier, he said Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act allowed withholding of personal information if its disclosure was unrelated to any public activity or interest or would result in an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

However, this restriction was subject to an important safeguard: if the Central Public Information Officer, State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority determined that disclosing the information served a larger public interest, it could still be made available, he added.

He explained now, Section 44 (3) of the DPDP Act amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act that allowed government bodies to withhold "information which relates to personal information," with no consideration for public interest.

Gogoi accused the BJP government of imposing orders on the citizens rather than upholding their rights. "Citizens have rights and government has a duty to uphold those rights. However, the BJP, after being elected, believes that it has all the rights and citizens have a duty to obey the orders," the Congress leader said.

MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyank Chaturvedi also termed the provision on the Act as "four-sided assault on press freedom, especially on investigative journalism". She said the RTI had exposed corruption in the country.

"This will make the RTI Act null and void," she added.

The Shiv Sena UBT leader also questioned provision of Data Protection Board constitution in the Act, which she said would be centralised. "The government will decide what information is to be given out, "she said. 

The event was also attended by MM Abdulla (DMK), John Brittas, (CPI-M), Javed Ali Khan, (SP) and Naval Kishor (RJD).