Speaker disagrees with CJI's views on RTI applicability

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday disagreed with Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan's views that the Right to Information Act was not applicable to his office.

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday disagreed with Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan's views that the Right to Information Act was not applicable to his office.

"I am not questioning the Chief Justice. He is a high constitutional functionary. But since you ask me, I feel we should not keep anything back from people," he told reporters when asked about the CJI's views. Chatterjee said that in a democracy people occupy the central position and insisted that once such information is denied, then there is scope for speculation which may affect the credibility of the institution.

Disputing Balakrishnan's views that Constitutional functionaries are not covered under the RTI, the Speaker said, "Everything is under the Constitution or should be under the Constitution. The question is whether people are entitled to know." "The Constitutional position of people's right to know has been recognised under the RTI Act," he said noting that it has been brought for the purpose of enforcement.

The refrain of the Speaker, who has been forthright in airing his views on judicial activism, was that, "we should not keep anything back from people" as they have the right to know in a democracy. (PTI)

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