Political parties not covered under RTI, says EC

Taking a stand contradictory to Chief Information Commissioner's one, the Election Commission (EC) has said political parties are out of the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): Taking a stand contradictory to Chief Information Commissioner’s one, the Election Commission (EC) has said political parties are out of the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The top electoral body response came while replying to a petition seeking to know the details of donations collected by the six national parties – Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Samajwadi Party through electoral bonds.

The CIC under former election commissioner A.N. Tiwari had brought the political parties under the law on June 3, 2013. Under the RTI Act, the CIC is the only body which can declare an institution a public authority accountable. (ANI)

This is published unedited from the ANI feed.