Andhra Pradesh governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has earned the odium of citizen groups for saying that the Right to Information Act has become a tool in the hands of some people with “vested interests” for blackmailing those in the government, like himself.

“I can say with complete authority that the RTI Act is used for blackmailing people. If that was not the case, why does the same group of people apply for the RTI Act so often? I receive RTI applications that seek information on the dinner I hosted for my guests. They ask me to disclose the guest list, the menu and the expenditure incurred for the purpose,” Narasimhan was quoted by Deccan Herald as saying last Monday at an event at Administrative Staff College of India-Hyderabad.

Narasimhan also suggested that some RTI applications had been directed at personal affairs of public officials.
“The other day, I went to a temple. A person filed an RTI seeking information about whether my visit to the temple was an official visit. If so, who did I meet and what was the discussion? I replied that it was not an official visit. I met the Almighty at the temple and had long deliberations with him,” he remarked.

While Deccan Herald has been receiving dozens of reactions from readers condemning Narasimhan’s unusual outburst, United Forum for RTI Campaign, a Hyderabad-based citizens’ group, issued on Thursday a statement demanding that the governor withdraw his remarks.
“Coming from the highest authority in the state, these comments reflect a deep malaise in the system and indicate the confrontationist approach of the administration. Citing a few overzealous applications of the tens of thousands that were being filed, he is sweeping under the carpet the larger issue of a huge and genuine demand from citizens for information,” the statement issued by the Forum said.

For every “blackmailing “application that Narasimhan could cite, one could cite hundreds of applications that had helped change the lives of disadvantaged people in a significant manner, the statement added.
“We would also like to remind Governor’s office that they are defaulters with respect to placing information on the website of Raj Bhavan, as mandated by Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act.  We request his office to comply with the provisions of the law with immediate effect,” the Forum said.

“As long as these people get paid from tax money, tax payers should have the right to monitor them. How can the list of guests be used for blackmail?” wonders one reader whose comments are posted on the website of Deccan Herald.
“It is common knowledge that a lot of government officials misuse their privileges and combine official and personal trips. It’s commendable that a common man has the authority now to question the details of every activity of the governor,” reads another comment.