File photo of Omar Abdullah
As Parliament considers amending the Right to Information or RTI Act to exclude political parties from its ambit, the transparency law got its strongest pitch today from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Speaking at an event organised by the Central Information Commission (CIC), Mr Abdullah called the objection by political parties a case of "having your cake and eating it too."
"It's a little strange. We want transparency for others but not for ourselves," he said.
Mr Abdullah's party, the National Conference, is an ally of the Congress at the Centre.
In July, the Chief Information Commission had ruled that six national parties should come under RTI as they get substantial funding and support from the government including tax exemptions on donations and subsidized land.
Mr Abdullah said, "All the money I get or my party gets, we get tax exemptions. I am accountable to not just my legislature or to the Income Tax department but also to the people of India."
Former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh also addressed the convention, saying any move to remove political parties, which are at the centre of Indian democracy, would "send an absolutely wrong signal."
Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi described the move as a "murder of democracy."
Currently, political parties have to declare details of donations of more than Rs 20,000 to the Election Commission. They argue that since they are already answerable to one body, there is no need for another regulator.
Since becoming a law in 2005, the RTI Act, apart from helping citizens secure government information, has also helped expose major scams.