Image used for representational purpose only. File
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) alleged in the Rajya Sabha that the central government is ‘reluctant and scared’ about disclosing information under Right to Information (RTI) Act and demanded that the sanctity of law should be protected.
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During Zero Hour, Mr. Haque said under Article 19 of the Constitution, right to seek information has been recognised as a fundamental right.
“Despite this, the RTI Act 2005 is being systematically demolished by this government. When it was introduced, India’s RTI Act was miles ahead of similar laws in other countries. We are the only country where there is a time limit of 30 days for providing information,” he said.
He rued that 20 years later, the NDA, that is “No Data Available” government has made a mockery of RTI.
As of November 2025, eight of the 10 posts at the Central Information Commission are vacant, he informed the House.
To make it worse, India does not have a Chief Information Commissioner since September 5, he alleged. Due to this, it takes almost two to three years to dispose of pending second appeals, and by that time the information given has no meaning, he pointed out.
“This government likes to talk about digital India. In reality, the RTI website is a nightmare. Over the last seven months, RTI activists have been complaining about website crashes and delayed OTPs. By not fixing the issue, the government is showing how reluctant and scared it is about disclosing information,” he said.
“We saw the same issue with the Waqf Umeed portal recently, which was full of glitches, yet the government not only failed to fix it, but also failed to extend the deadline,” he informed the House.
People of India demand information, which is their right.
The people of Bengal deserve to know why ₹52,000 crore of pending Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dues have not been released by the Union government despite court order, he stated.
“We deserve to know by when the pending dues of ₹2 lakh crore under various schemes will be released by the Union government. We have seen, how this government runs away from the accountability in this Parliament,” he said.
Mr. Haque alleged that by weakening the RTI Act, the Modi Government is running away from being accountable to the people.
“In the end, I can only urge the government to fill vacancies, restore capacity and protect the sanctity of this law and Indian democracy. Otherwise, the RTI Act remains intact on paper, while transparency collapses in practice, and that collapse is entirely this government’s responsibility,” he said.
Published – December 10, 2025 04:52 pm IST
