Overview

• Congress figures including Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP-led government of systematically eroding the RTI since 2014, dubbing it “Right to Intimidate.”
• Leaders pointed to the 2019 amendments that let the Centre decide information commissioners’ tenure and service conditions, with a Supreme Court challenge still pending.
• They warned that the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act broadens the ‘personal information’ shield, saying Section 44(3) could be used to deny disclosures in public interest.
• The Central Information Commission was cited as operating with only two commissioners, a vacant chief’s post and tens of thousands of pending cases, alongside nationwide backlogs topping 4 lakh appeals.
• The opposition demanded repealing the 2019 changes, time‑bound appointments, restoration of fixed five‑year terms, stricter enforcement and proactive disclosure, review of DPDP provisions, and whistleblower protections.