Excluding Vigilance Bureau from RTI is unconstitutional and authoritarian: Randhir Sharma

BJP State Media In-charge and MLA from Naina Devi Randhir Sharma has strongly criticized the Himachal Pradesh Government’s decision to exclude the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, calling it an unconstitutional and authoritarian move.

Randhir Sharma said that a State Government does not have the authority to alter or weaken a law that has been passed by Parliament, yet the Himachal Pradesh Government has taken a decision that effectively undermines the spirit of the Right to Information Act, 2005. He stated that such a move raises serious constitutional and democratic concerns.

He said that the primary responsibility of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is to investigate corruption cases and ensure accountability in governance. In such matters, transparency is extremely important. However, by bringing the bureau out of the RTI framework, the present Congress government is attempting to eliminate transparency and shield its actions from public scrutiny.

Randhir Sharma alleged that the government intends to use the Vigilance Bureau according to its political convenience and is trying to convert it into a puppet institution that functions as per the wishes of those in power. He said that this decision clearly reflects the government’s intention to hide the functioning of the bureau and prevent information from reaching the public.

He further pointed out that the RTI Act was enacted in 2005 by the Parliament of India during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, when the Congress party was in power at the Centre. The purpose of the law was to bring transparency and accountability into the administrative system. Ironically, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is now weakening the very law brought by its own party.

The BJP leader said that the decision directly affects the core spirit and objective of the RTI Act, which is to empower citizens and ensure transparency in governance. By excluding the Vigilance Bureau from the RTI framework, the government has raised several serious questions about its intentions.

Randhir Sharma said the Bharatiya Janata Party strongly opposes this decision and demands that the Himachal Pradesh Government immediately withdraw the notification. He said that the Right to Information is an important democratic right granted to the citizens of the country, and no government should attempt to dilute or weaken it.

He added that transparency and accountability are the foundations of democracy, and any attempt to restrict access to information is against the interests of the public. The BJP will continue to raise this issue and ensure that the people’s right to information is protected.