(From the right) The leaders of the India Block Priyanka chaturvedi, Gaurav Gogoi and Jhon Brittas are directed to the media in the Press Club of India, in New Delhi on April 10, 2025. Photo credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The opposition of India Bloc in Thorsday (April 10, 2025) demanded the repeal of Section 44 (3) or the Digital Personal Data Protection Law (DPDP), arguing that it destroys the Law of Law to Information (RTI).
At a joint press conference in New Delhi, the leader of Congress, Guurav Gogoi, said that more than 120 parliamentarians of the block matches of India, including opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, have signed a joint memo for the repeal of this section and Vawini.
The press conference was attended by MM Abdulla (DMK), Priyanka chaturvedi (SHIV SENA-UBT), John Brittas (CPI-M), Javed Ali Khan (SP) and Naval Kishor (RJD).
Civil rights activists have opposed section 44 (3) of the DPDP Law that seeks to replace section 8 (1) (J) of Law RTI, 2005, said Mr. Gogoi.
Section 8 (1) (J) of the RTI Law allowed the retention of personal information if its dissemination was not related to any public activity or interest or would lead to an unjustified invasion of privacy.
However, this restriction was subject to an important safeguard: if the central public information officer, the State Public Information Officer or the Appeal Authority determined that disseminating the information attended a broader public interest, it could still be made aviaxable.
Section 44 (3) of the DPDP Law modifies section 8 (1) of the RTI Law that allows government agencies to retain “information related to personal information”, without consideration for the public interest or any other exception.
Published – April 10, 2025 4:17 PM IST