Tamil Nadu has withdrawn a government order that sought to exempt certain law-and-order related information from disclosure under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, after it drew sharp criticism.
The state had argued that the department responsible for maintaining law and order functions as an intelligence and security-related wing, and therefore should not fall under the RTI framework.
The move triggered objections because it would have blocked RTI access to inquiry reports linked to caste and community clashes, police firing incidents, allegations of custodial torture, and deaths in custody.
Parties including the Congress and VCK, which are part of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam alliance, urged the government to revoke the order. Several political leaders also issued statements opposing it.
Following the backlash, the Tamil Nadu government announced that the RTI exemption order relating to law and order has been withdrawn.
