Gurugram, Oct. 13 -- Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Rao Narendra Singh accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of systematically weakening the Right to Information (RTI) Act, calling it a "direct attack on democracy and transparency". At a Gurugram press conference for the RTI Act's 20th anniversary, he alleged the "RTI law, one of the most powerful tools for citizens, had been diluted for political convenience." He said the RTI Act was implemented under Congress-led UPA in 2005, but after 2014, BJP amended it to weaken its purpose. Rao noted UPA-era laws like MGNREGA, Forest Rights Act, Right to Education Act, Land Acquisition Act, and Food Security Act were enacted, but BJP diluted them. He expressed concern that the Central Information Commission (CIC) has only two active commissioners out of 11, with the Chief vacant since September 2025. As of June 2024, over four lakh RTI appeals were pending, double from 2019. Pankaj Dawar, Congress urban district president, condemned attacks on RTI activists, citing Shehla Masood's murder for exposing illegal mining, and demanded safety. Rao demanded withdrawal of the 2019 amendment that revoked fixed tenures for commissioners and filling all vacancies. He also sought inclusion of journalists, academics, and activists in commissions. Vardhan Yadav, Congress district president (rural), said, "The BJP government weakened the RTI to evade accountability, but the Congress will restore it as a powerful weapon in the hands of people." Responding to the allegations, Arvind Saini, BJP state media in-charge, dismissed allegations as "politically motivated," stating the Modi government strengthened transparency through digital governance and RTI functions effectively. Rao Narbir Singh, Haryana industries minister, said, "The BJP government has not weakened the RTI Act; we have strengthened transparency through digitisation and direct public access to information. Our focus has been to make governance more accountable."...