Today the Supreme Court has sought response from all national political parties on why they should not be brought within the RTI ambit to make them more accountable to public. A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu issued notice to all six national political parties including BJP, Congress, BSP, CPI and CPM seeking their response.

The bench has also issued the notice to the Central government and Election Commission asking them to make their point clear on bringing political parties under the RTI Act.

The court has passed the order while considering a PIL filed by an NGO Association for Democratic Reforms seeking the court’s direction to make political parties amenable to the RTI Act.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the petitioner, contended that the national parties are virtually funded by the state as they are exempted from filing the income tax returns. Bhushan said that they would have to deposit 35 per cent of donation received by them had they not been exempted from filing income tax returns. He said that it shows that they are being funded by the government, by which they are made liable to come under the RTI Act.

By Premji