A crucial PIL demanding political parties be included under the RTI Act will be heard tomorrow. The move could bring major transparency to political funding and functioning in India.
A very important legal case will be heard in court tomorrow. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed, asking the court to bring all political parties under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This means the petitioner wants political parties to share details like their funding, expenses, and decision-making processes with the public, just like government departments are required to do under the RTI Act.
The PIL argues that political parties play a major role in the democratic process and they should not remain outside the reach of transparency laws. According to the petitioner, since political parties affect public policy and governance, they should also be answerable to the citizens of the country.
The RTI Act was made to give power to the common people to ask questions and get information from public authorities. But at present, political parties are not included under this law.
The petitioner believes that this goes against the spirit of democracy and accountability. They have requested the court to issue an order that would declare political parties as “public authorities” under the RTI Act.
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If this happens, then people will be able to file RTI applications to know how political parties collect funds, who gives them donations, and how they spend public resources.
The case is likely to bring big changes if the court accepts the demand. Many people in the country have supported this idea over the years. Some believe that political parties should not be treated differently when it comes to transparency.
It is also believed that more openness will help reduce corruption and promote clean politics.
The PIL includes strong legal arguments. It says that political parties receive many kinds of benefits from the government, such as land at cheap rates, tax exemptions, and free air time during elections.
Because of these benefits, the petitioner says that political parties come under the definition of “public authorities” as per Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
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Earlier, in 2013, the Central Information Commission (CIC) had passed an order declaring six national political parties — Congress, BJP, CPI(M), CPI, NCP, and BSP — as public authorities under the RTI Act. But none of the parties followed that order.
They refused to accept it and did not reply to any RTI applications. Later, the government also tried to bring a law to keep political parties out of the RTI Act, but it did not pass.
The petitioner has now requested the court to enforce the CIC’s 2013 order and ensure that political parties follow it.
The PIL says that
“political parties are the backbone of Indian democracy and must be made accountable to the citizens.”
It further adds that
“in a democracy, people have the right to know how political parties function and how they spend money.”
The matter is now in front of the court and is scheduled to be heard tomorrow. Many legal experts are closely watching the case, as its result can bring a major shift in how Indian politics works.
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If political parties are brought under the RTI Act, it could lead to greater public trust and accountability in the political system.
This PIL could become a historic step towards greater transparency in Indian democracy.
The petitioner strongly believes that
“without transparency in political parties, the dream of a clean and fair democracy will always remain incomplete.”
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