Why Political Parties want immunity from RTI?

Yesterday while watching one of the news channels, NDTV. A debate on their programme Left Right & Centre, kept me thinking all night where do these political parties lead our Nation to?

The programme had a debate on whether political parties should be covered under the RTI or not? I was really taken aback from the response that political parties gave in regards to the above. The reason they gave were very flimsy and unthinkable even from the layman's point of view. What’s wrong if they are covered under RTI Act? The people of this nation have a right to know, what these political parties do at the back hand. We vote for them isn't it?

The kind of political funds they receive, the kind of thinking that goes into choosing a candidate on grounds, which affect nation’s image, and don’t you think we all have a right to know? It’s a serious question which needs to able answers.

To my knowledge not all parties ever list the donations they have received on the public domain, why is it so?

During the whole debate, only one person who caught on my mind was Mr. Anil Bairwal of ADR India who is the National Coordinator. He had repeatedly approached various political parties to provide information to RTI applicants. In their defense all political parties collectively claimed that they are not public entities defined under the transparency law and hence are not required to set up infrastructure for processing the applications under it or replying to such queries.

Following the refusal, Anil Bairwal filed the complaint against political parties before the Central Information Commission. In yesterday's meeting with the political parties, the bench of CIC has reserved their verdict on political funding.

My request to all of you is to aware yourself through this article and the following links for your reference and introspect, why these political parties do not want to come under the RTI Act.


Please visit the following to know more 


To watch NDTV Debate visit – 

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/left-right-centre/are-parties-trying-to-avoid-public-scrutiny/253320?hp&video-featured

To know what CIC thinks visit - 

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-16/news/33880231_1_political-parties-rti-act-rti-applicants


To know about Mr. Anil Bairwal visit – 

http://adrindia.org/about-adr/our-team

To know about the ADR and its activities visit – http://adrindia.org/

To know what replies were given by the Political Parties visit – 

http://adrindia.org/content/political-parties-under-rti 

To read interviews of Mr. Anil Bairwal visit -

http://www.countercurrents.org/bairwal050109.htm

http://www.im4change.org/interviews/anil-bairwal-national-convenor-of-association-for-democratic-reforms-adr-and-national-election-watch-new-interviewed-by-rediff-com039s-vicky-nanjappa-13670.html