TVK Govt Withdraws Order Exempting Law & Order Dpr from RTI | South India

Overview

Tamil Nadu has withdrawn an order that had exempted the State’s Law and Order Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The exemption was initially introduced through a September 21 notification from the Human Resources Management Department, which categorized the Law and Order Department as an “intelligence and security” organization—thereby bringing it under the RTI exemption under Section 24.

Political Backlash

The decision drew strong criticism and backlash from opposition parties and political allies:

• DMK alleged the move was meant to prevent public scrutiny of crime figures in the state.
• TVK ally CPI(M) condemned the exemption, arguing it was an attempt to turn Tamil Nadu into a “police state.”

Government Response and Interpretation

Supporters of the TVK government argued that the action likely reflected:

• Inexperience, and
• Undue bureaucratic influence

They suggested the government may have acted hastily, then reversed its decision after the controversy. Commentators described the reversal as a “U-turn” driven by officials rather than effective political oversight, and expressed hope that similar incidents would encourage the government to better control the bureaucracy through experience.

Final Action

Following the backlash, the Human Resources Management Department issued a new notification stating that the September 21 RTI exemption has been revoked.

Presenters / Contributors

• (Unspecified commentator(s) in the video)
• TVK
• DMK
• CPIM / CPI(M)
• Congress
• Human Resources Management Department (Tamil Nadu)
• RTI Act (Section 24 referenced)