The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday revoked an order exempting the Public (Law and Order) department from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, after it triggered a political slugfest and intense pushback from multiple fronts including its allies.
“The Tamil Nadu government’s public sector department announced in the gazette that ‘information can be sought’ (under the RTI). It will pave the way for suppressing human rights,” VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said in a statement on Sunday. This announcement is highly shocking.
“We strongly urge the government to immediately withdraw it,” he added.
The main opposition to TVK, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also took strong exception to the controversial order with party deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi accusing the government of restricting the RTI Act. What TVK government did is condemnable. “Such a government order that blunts the edge of the Right to Information Act – which serves as a powerful weapon in the hands of the common people – must be withdrawn immediately. The order would have blocked access to records of custodial deaths, police firing, communal clashes and security-related detentions.
Earlier reporting noted: Tamil Nadu govt exempts law and order from RTI, backtracks after furore Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay Earlier reporting noted: Chennai: The Tamil Nadu govt withdrew on Sunday a controversial Sept 21 general order exempting the state’s law and order machinery from the purview of RTI Act after political and public backlash.
“Government Order 57 of the Human Resources Management (R) department dated September 21, 2026, relating to the exemption of the Public (Law and Order) Department under sub-section (4) of the section 24 of the RTI Act, 2005 stands revoked,” the government order said. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (4) of section 24 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central Act 22 of 2005), the governor of Tamil Nadu hereby specifies the Public (Law and Order) department being an Intelligence and Security Organisation established by the government of Tamil Nadu for which the said Act shall not apply,” the earlier order mentioned. Later, minister for energy resources and law CTR Nirmal Kumar in a social media post said, the government of Tamil Nadu has withdrawn with respect the government order issued by the human resources management department. The Tamil Nadu unit president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nainar Nagenthran said, “The Right to Information (RTI) Act was considered a fundamental freedom for citizens to know what is happening in a country. It clearly exposes their administrative incompetence.” ”These data are essential tools for assessing how effectively law and order is being maintained in a state. Instead of prohibiting the disclosure of such information, the government should use this data to improve law and order,” PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said in a statement. “The Tamil Nadu government must immediately withdraw this order,” he added. The state executive committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly points out that this will only pave the way for authoritarian, regressive anti-democratic and human rights-denying tendencies,” CPI (M) state secretary P Shanmugam said. Earlier reporting noted: “Under Section 24, subsection (4) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, the exemption granted to the public (law and order) department of the govt of Tamil Nadu has been withdrawn with respect to the govt order issued by the human resources management department,” electricity and law minister C T R Nirmal Kumar posted on X.
