RTI case: Congress cries foul as CIC names only Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI: The Congress has complained to the Central Information Commission (CIC) that party president Sonia Gandhi has been singled out and named in the case pertaining to political parties being brought under Right to Information or RTI Act. CIC is slated to hear the case on Monday.

The Congress has filed an application before CIC requesting Gandhi’s name be removed and instead “Indian National Congress through its treasurer” be made a party. It has said that other political parties have not been served notices by CIC in the names of their current party presidents.

“Since the parties have not been described properly, it is requested that the name of Mrs Sonia Gandhi may be removed and the Indian National Congress being a political party is entitled to represent through me, for which proper authority has already been filed,” the Congress said in the application. CIC has clubbed 34 complaints of 18 applicants who have said that six national parties have not complied with a 2013 full bench order of the commission bringing them under the purview of RTI Act.

The applicants include RTI activists Subhash Chandra Agrawal and RK Jain. In May, CIC had issued showcause notices to six national parties including the BJP, NCP, BSP, CPI and CPM.

Agrawal said, “This matter is taking a long time. The political parties have been flouting a full bench order for the last three years. Till the matter is finalised, the commission should direct different departments of central government to stop all direct and indirect government funding to political parties.

Further land allotment at subsidised cost, free voters’ list, free Doordarshan & All India Radio air time, and all other government-provided free facilities to political parties may be instantly abolished.”

Before CIC’s full bench hears the matter on Monday, the Congress has filed objections to the matter being heard again by the commission. The party said the commission does not have the power to review its own order of 2013. It said that a similar issue is pending before the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court. It has appealed that CIC stay the proceedings till the matter is decided by the courts.