Tamil Nadu govt rolls back law and order department’s RTI exemption amid backlash
The Tamil Nadu government initially issued a notification exempting its Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, classifying it as an "Intelligence and Security Organisation." This move, which would have restricted access to records on various law-and-order incidents, was quickly withdrawn following widespread criticism from political leaders.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing tension between government transparency and national security concerns, demonstrating how public and political pressure can influence policy decisions regarding access to information and accountability.
The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its notification exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information Act, hours after issuing the Gazette notification that classified the department as an "Intelligence and Security Organisation".The rollback came after the move drew criticism from political leaders, including Congress's Karti P Chidambaram and BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan. The government, however, did not publicly cite a specific reason for issuing the exemption or explain why it was withdrawn. An official communication later confirmed that the order issued under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act had been rescinded, reported ANI.What was the notification?The original notification, issued by the Human Resources Management Department and published in the state Gazette, used the power available to state governments under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in