New Delhi: The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) called for the repeal of Section 44(3) of the Digital Data Protection Act (DDPA), arguing that the law, as it stands, undermines the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) and defeats the purpose of the Right to Information.
Addressing a joint press conference here today, senior INDIA bloc leaders including Gaurav Gogoi from Congress, Priyanka Chaturvedi from the Shiv Sena, John Brittas from the CPI-M, MM Abdullah from DMK and Javed Ali from the Samajwadi Party disclosed that before the Digital Data Protection Act was enacted, it had been thoroughly discussed in the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
However, Gogoi added, as is usual with this government, when the final Bill was brought in the Parliament it had been amended and was different from what the JPC had proposed. He said, the Bill was passed at a time when the opposition had brought in a vote of no confidence against the government that time in 2023 over its failure to control the situation in Manipur.
Gogoi said, the Act in its current form has serious implications for the Right to Information and the freedom of expression. “As we have understood it clearly, the recent amendments have a draconian impact on the rights of citizens and the freedom of the press,” he said. “The DDPA has devastated another Act passed by the Parliament which is the Right to Information Act,” he remarked.
Explaining the matter, he said, there is a particular Section 8(1) in the Right to Information Act, which says if somebody seeks some information, which has no public interest in it, that information can be withheld. But, in case the information is relevant in the public interest, it cannot be withheld even if it means giving some personal information about someone, he added.
The senior Congress leader disclosed that in the DDPA there is a section, 44(3), which undermines Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, which says that notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen information which relates to personal information.
“Very surreptitiously, maliciously and mischievously, the Right of Citizens to Information has been snatched by the recent Digital Data Protection Act,” he observed, while seeking repealing of Section 44(3) of DDPA.
The INDIA leaders disclosed that they have prepared a petition for the Minister for Electronics and Information Technology with signatures by about 120-130 leaders, demanding repeal of the Section 44(3) of the DDPA.
They said, by repealing Section 44(3) of the Digital Data Protection Act, there will be no change in its fundamental purpose, while the “soul of the RTI Act will be protected.”
