Congress cries foul as CIC notice names only Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress has cried foul as Central Information Commission has issued showcause notices on bringing political parties under the ambit of Right to Information (RTI) Act. While notices have been served to national presidents and general secretaries of other political parties, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the only party chief who has been named in the notice.

CIC has issued showcause notices to Gandhi, BJP national president, president/ general secretary of NCP and BSP and general secretaries of CPI (M) and CPI over a complaint filed by RTI activist R K Jain and 16 other applicants. However, Congress has called it a conspiracy alleging that Gandhi is being targeted. K C Mittal, secretary of legal and human rights department, told ET, “This is unfair. There is a conspiracy on. Our party president is being unnecessarily targeted. Why have notices been served in general to other political parties and only in Congress’ case Soniaji’s name has been taken? Why should individual office bearers be named at all?”

CIC’s full bench, comprising M Sridhar Acharyulu, Sudhir Bhargava and Bimal Julka, is hearing the complaint by RTI appellants against political parties. The next date of hearing is June 20. Mittal, who had represented Congress before the Commission, said the matter is being politicized. The Congress would move an application challenging CIC’s June 2013 order which had declared political parties as public authorities and brought them under the ambit of RTI Act. CIC had taken the view that political parties take several benefits like tax reliefs, government accommodation, subsidized land and should be treated as public authorities.

Jain, who had initiated the complaint against the political parties, also said that the notices should name all party president. “My complaint named the individuals. I had named then BJP president Rajnath Singh and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Under law the responsibility is that of the individual and not of the entire party,” Jain said adding that he is moving another representation before CIC to name individuals and issue fresh showcause notices.