Opposition claims DPDP Act provisions destroy RTI, seeks repeal
New Delhi, Apr 13 (PTI): Opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday demanded repeal of certain provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, contending that these sought to curtail access to public information under the pretext of safeguarding privacy.
Some INDIA bloc leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi (Congress) and M M Abdulla (DMK), addressed a joint press conference seeking the repeal of Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act that was passed by Parliament in 2023. They also said they have signed a joint memorandum for repeal of this section and it will be submitted to Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
"We have been studying the implications of the Digital Data Protection Act and have come to understand that the recent amendments have a draconian impact on citizens' rights and press freedom," Gogoi said.
Vaishnaw dismissed the apprehension voiced by the Opposition and asserted that any personal information subject to disclosure under legal obligations under various laws governing public representatives and welfare programmes will continue to be disclosed under the RTI Act.
"In fact, this amendment will not restrict disclosure of personal information, rather it aims to strengthen the privacy rights of the individuals and prevent the potential misuse of the law," Vaishnaw said in response to a letter written by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on the issue on March 23.
Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act allowed withholding of personal information if its disclosure was unrelated to any public activity or interest or would result in an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
However, this restriction was subject to an important safeguard: if the Central Public Information Officer, the State Public Information Officer, or the appellate authority determined that disclosing the information served a larger public interest, it could still be made available.
Gogoi claimed that Section 44 (3) of the DPDP Act amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act and it now allowed government bodies to withhold "information which relates to personal information," with no consideration for the public interest or any other exception.
"The Digital Data Protection Act has devastated another act passed by Parliament, which is the Right to Information Act," Gogoi said, adding that over 120 opposition MPs have signed the joint petition.
He said a group of civil rights activists had reached out to INDIA bloc leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, during the recent Budget Session to share their apprehensions about the amendments to the DPDP Act.
He said the Act is yet to be notified by the government as consultations were ongoing on the rules of the law.
Gogoi said the DPDP Bill was passed by Parliament when the opposition had moved a no confidence motion against the government on the Manipur issue.
The Congress leader also suggested that the government had introduced amendments to the bill that fundamentally altered the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee set up to examine the draft legislation.
Talking about the passage of the Act in Parliament in 2023, Gogoi said, "There was a JPC set up, an extensive report was presented, and subsequently the government, as it has the habit, when it is going to pass the Bill, brings certain amendments, which have fundamentally changed the nature of the JPC report."
The DPDP Bill, which became the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, was passed by Lok Sabha on August 7, 2023, and by Rajya Sabha on August 9, 2023. It received presidential assent on August 11, 2023.
The press conference was also attended by Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), John Brittas (CPI-M), Javed Ali Khan (SP) and Naval Kishor (RJD).
The Opposition's petition said that the amendment removes the crucial proviso of Section 8(1) that states "information which cannot be denied to Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person".
Elaborating on it, Gogoi gave an example, and said, "So tomorrow, if you want information on collapsing bridges in Bihar, and you ask for the information of the contractor, you may be denied."
"Very surreptitiously, maliciously, and mischievously, the right of citizens to information has been snatched by the DPDP Act," he alleged.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chaturvedi said it is also an attack on freedom of press.
"You are taking Right to Information towards 'road to ignorance', so that people do not get to know about any corruption. The DPDP Act in 2019 had no such provision, in 2021, after it went to the JPC, no such provision was there either. In 2023 they brought in these provisions which will make RTI null and void," she said.
SP's Ali said they are appealing to the government right now, and will look at other options when the time comes.
Brittas called the RTI Act a landmark, and said, "at a stroke they have done away with the RTI act, and it will have far reaching implications for the media".
The petition signed by Opposition leaders has said that amendments made through the DPDP Act drastically weaken the RTI Act and will have a detrimental impact on citizen's fundamental right to information.
"We believe that the legal framework for privacy and data protection should complement the RTI Act and in no way undermine or dilute it," the petition said.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
