Thread by @rachitseth

RTI Amendment Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha. It shall weaken the Right to Know, because the Information Commissioners shall lose their autonomy and shall be at the beck & call of the Central Govt

As citizens, we should be outraged because this is an assault on our Rights

I am not saying that Govt’s haven’t mooted the idea of diluting the RTI Act in the past. There have been call by parties in power and bureaucrats to rethink the RTI, so as to suit their own interests. But people have resisted it. What disturbs is that there was no resistance.

Civil Society & Activists did protest and the opposition did its part in Parliament. But the latter’s role was limited only to a Parliamentary intervention. This needs to change. RTI has revolutionised India and made our processes more transparent and it needs to be protected.

The Anti-Corruption paradigm of this Govt is a farce! Whistleblower Act has not been implemented since 6 years. Grievance Redressal is a non starter. And LOKPAL doesn’t even have a STAFF or funds of Secretariat!

Since 2007, 65 RTI activists have allegedly been killed, 157 attacked and 168 threatened. Who will protect these RTI crusaders?

These are just recorded stats, there are numerous examples of unrecorded cases.

Centre has not appointed Information Commissioners and states have also left posts vacant. Instead of filling these posts and providing them autonomy. Central Govt is hell bent in destroying the RTI! #SaveRTI

Whenever I deliberated on RTI, BJP supporters were quick to take credit of the concept and called it ‘Vajpayee’s brainchild’! This however is a farce, because of RTI was Vajpayee’s legacy, then they would not have diluted and stragulated it, like the way they are doing now!

Lastly, Congress is leaderless since 55 days. One Parliament session is getting completed without a Congress President. Congress needs to come out on streets to save RTI, otherwise it would not be doing justice to its historic achievement!

FIN.