'Government Murders RTI': Rahul Gandhi After Parliament Clears Amendment To RTI Act

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday came out all guns blazing against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the amendment to the Right to Information (RTI) Act which was cleared by the Parliament this week.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote: "Government is diluting RTI in order to help the corrupt steal from India."

He further added: "Strange that the normally vociferous anti-corruption crowd has suddenly disappeared. #GovtMurdersRTI."

Parliament approved the amendment to the RTI Act, with Rajya Sabha on Thursday passing it after negating an Opposition sponsored motion to send it to a House committee for greater scrutiny.

The motion was negated by 117 members voting against the motion and 75 members voting in favour.

This after high drama in the House over what opposition charged was "intimidation" by the treasury benches to get the motion for sending the amendment to the RTI Act to the Select Committee rejected.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had alleged the government was amending the act to "take revenge" for the disclosure in five cases, including disclosure of demonetisation and his educational qualifications.

Earlier in the week, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also lashed out at the Centre, saying the government was hell-bent on subverting the act which now stands on the "brink of extinction".

In a statement on Tuesday, Sonia said it is clear that the present central government sees the RTI Act as a "nuisance" and wants to destroy the status and independence of the Central Information Commission.

"It is a matter of utmost concern that the central government is hell-bent on completely subverting the historic Right to Information Act, 2005. This law, prepared after widespread consultations and unanimously passed by Parliament, now stands at the brink of extinction," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)