Modi govt weakening RTI, crippling transparency to avoid scrutiny: Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of systematically “crippling transparency” by diluting the Right to Information (RTI) Act, alleging that its amendments were driven by fear of scrutiny rather than reform.

“The Modi government chose to weaken the RTI instead of strengthening it. When people couldn’t access information through departments, they could turn to RTI but that channel has now been compromised,” Ramesh said.

He said the government’s unease with the RTI Act began when a series of disclosures under it punctured official narratives. Among them, he said, was the Central Information Commission’s order directing disclosure of the PM’s educational qualifications; an RTI reply disproving the government’s claim of crores of fake ration cards; and another revealing that the Reserve Bank of India’s Central Board had warned, just hours before the 2016 demonetisation announcement, that the move would have little effect on black money.

He said RTI responses had also sought the list of top non-performing asset defaulters and details of black money brought back to India, both of which, he added, received “none” as an official reply. “These revelations shook the foundations of the government’s narrative,” Ramesh said, alleging the subsequent amendments were intended “to shield the powerful from scrutiny”.