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Tamil Nadu revoked its decision to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the RTI Act, 2005, following criticism from opposition parties and transparency concerns.
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay
The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn its decision to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, following criticism from opposition parties and concerns over transparency.
The exemption had been granted through a government order issued on September 21, under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act. The government had cited the department’s role as an Intelligence and Security Organisation while bringing it outside the scope of the law.
In a fresh order, the government said the earlier notification would no longer remain in force.
“Government Order Ms.No 57 of Human Resources Management (R) department dated 21st September, 2026, relating to exemption of the Public (Law and Order) Department under sub section (4) of section 24 of the RTI Act, 2005, stands revoked,” the government said.
The Public (Law and Order) Department deals with several sensitive matters, including reports on police firing, custodial deaths, alleged police torture and other law-and-order issues. The earlier exemption would have restricted public access to information related to such matters.
What Did The Government Say?
TVK Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar had earlier defended the decision, saying the exemption was mainly intended to keep information related to community clashes outside the RTI framework.
At A Glance
The Tamil Nadu government withdrew its decision to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the RTI Act, 2005.
The exemption was initially granted on September 21 under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.
The government cited the department’s role as an Intelligence and Security Organisation for the exemption.
The exemption would have restricted public access to information on sensitive matters like police firing and custodial deaths.
The revocation brings the Public (Law and Order) Department back within the scope of the RTI Act.
He said the Law and Order Department covers around 20 sections, but only a few were proposed to be kept outside the scope of the RTI Act.
“Only community clash-related incident details will not be given under RTI because many are asking for RTI on community clash. There are 20 sections under Law and Order, only a few sections are exempted from RTI,” Nirmal Kumar had said.
The minister had also indicated that the government could reconsider the decision if the public raised concerns over it.
“However, if the general public expresses discomfort, we will take it to the Chief Minister for further action,” he had said.
Opposition Criticism
The original order had drawn strong criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned the decision to restrict access to information held by the Law and Order Department.
CPM MP Venkatesan had urged the government to withdraw the order, calling it an attempt to turn Tamil Nadu into a “police state”.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also criticised the move and recalled the role of the RTI Act in strengthening transparency and accountability in government.
He said the Law and Order Department handles important matters, including reports on police firing, custodial deaths, torture, deaths of remand prisoners, security-related detention cases, communal and caste clashes, and politically sensitive cases.
Chidambaram argued that restricting access to such information would weaken transparency and said the RTI framework should be expanded rather than restricted.
Government’s Defence
The TVK government had earlier rejected claims that the exemption would affect freedom of expression.
TVK Minister Raj Mohan said the media would continue to receive necessary information from the government. He also stressed that freedom of expression should be exercised responsibly.
“The freedom of expression will not get affected. As a Minister of DIPR, I myself will give necessary information to you (media),” Raj Mohan had said.
With the latest order, the government has now revoked the September 21 decision, bringing the Public (Law and Order) Department back within the scope of the RTI Act.
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Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can …Read More
September 27, 2026, 16:27 IST
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