The Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government has officially cancelled its controversial move to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The sudden reversal comes hot on the heels of fierce criticism from opposition leaders, political allies, and transparency advocates who argued that the exemption would severely undermine democratic accountability.
In an official statement, the government confirmed: “Government Order Ms.No 57 of Human Resources Management (R) department dated 21st September, 2026, relating to exemption of the Public (Law and Order) Department under sub section (4) of section 24 of the RTI Act, 2005, stands revoked.”
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The original order, published in the Government Gazette, had classified the department under intelligence and security frameworks. If it had stood, critical public records—such as inquiry reports into police firing, custodial deaths, police torture, remand prisoner deaths, and communal clash evaluations—would have been completely shielded from public scrutiny.
Defending the initial decision, TVK Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar had previously argued that the restriction was intended exclusively to protect sensitive community clash data from being weaponized. He noted that out of roughly twenty sections under the department, only a select few were intended to be kept private. However, acknowledging public discomfort, he had assured that the matter would
