Dr RK Jain had filed identical RTI queries with the six parties seeking details ranging from how elections were held to details on use of funds. (Representational Image)
The Central Information Commission has issued notices to top leaders of six major political parties asking them why are Right to Information or RTI queries not being answered by their parties.
The notices have been issued to BSP chief Mayawati, Left leader Prakash Karat, NCP chief Sharap Pawar, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the BJP's Rajnath Singh.
Hearing a complaint by campaigner Dr RK Jain, a bench of the CIC today ordered notices be issued to the party leaders, all of whom were also their party chiefs in 2014, when the petitioner had filed his RTI petitions.
Dr Jain had filed identical RTI queries with the six parties seeking details ranging from how elections were held to details on use of funds.
The CIC had in June 2013 ordered that political parties serve a public purpose and hence are deemed "public authorities" under the RTI.
"The sad part is that political parties should themselves make information available instead of us having to file complaints and take them to court, especially after successive CIC orders have said that they are under RTI," said Dr Jain.
Almost all political parties have maintained that they don't come under the RTI despite several orders by the CIC. While the party leaders have to reply within a month to the notices, the transparency watchdog will take up the matter on June 20.