That main political parties will not change and will remain as opaque as ever, was clear from the wild reaction that the chief information commissioner’s order bringing parties under the RTI ambit generated a day after the ruling. While the ruling Congress, which has been the votary of the RTI Act, and a few others rejected the order and termed it harmful to democratic institutions, strangely, the main Opposition BJP saw nothing wrong in such a move. Congress termed it as an "adventurist" approach that would harm democratic institutions. Its view was echoed by CPM and BJP's ally JD(U), which also rejected the order passed by the quasi-judicial body.
"It is not acceptable. We totally disagree with it. Such adventurist approach will create lot of harm and damage to democratic institutions," senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi said. "Getting political parties entangled in such unnecessary things will damage the democratic process. We simply cannot accept it," he added. The CPM, in a statement, said it, "cannot accept" the CIC order that political parties are to be treated as "public authorities" and brought under the purview of the Right to Information Act. "This decision is based on a fundamental misconception about the role of political parties in a parliamentary democracy," it said, adding "this will interfere with and hamper the functioning of a political party." Expressing "astonishment and shock", JDU chief Sharad Yadav said the order is "no way justified" as "political parties are not shops". Asserting that "we are totally against this move", he wanted the government to scuttle the CIC move.
The main Opposition BJP, however, felt nothing wrong in the CIC order. "BJP is not against anything that brings transparency and accountability which is equally applicable to all. We will follow the order," said BJP spokesman Abhimanyu.Yesterday, the CIC held that six national parties — Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP — have been substantially funded indirectly by the central government and they have the character of public authority under the RTI Act as they perform public functions. The Congress said the CIC move would encroach upon the right to privacy of political organisations which don't receive any grants from the government and are voluntary organisations. Underlining that political parties are the mainstay of democracy which "cannot and should not be weakened", he cautioned that such decisions would have long-lasting implications.
