Tamil Nadu withdraws RTI exemption for Public Law and Order Department hours after Gazette notification, following criticism from political leaders.

Introduction

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its notification exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, hours after the order was published in the state Gazette. The department had been classified as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.

The move triggered criticism from political leaders, including Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram and BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, who raised concerns over transparency and public access to information relating to policing and law-and-order matters.

The government subsequently issued a fresh order stating that the earlier exemption order had been rescinded. It did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for either the original exemption or its withdrawal.

What Was the Original RTI Notification?

The original notification was issued by the Human Resources Management Department through Government Order No. 57, dated September 21, 2026, and published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.

Using the power available to state governments under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act, the notification designated the Public (Law and Order) Department as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation”. This would have placed information held by the department outside the normal scope of RTI requests, subject to the statutory exceptions under Section 24.

The department handles a wide range of sensitive matters involving public order and policing. These include reports concerning communal and caste clashes, political agitations, police action, preventive detention, custodial deaths and police torture.

It also deals with police inquiry reports, law-and-order reports sent to the Centre, representations by detainees, habeas corpus-related matters and requests for withdrawal of cases registered in connection with political or communal tensions.

Why Did the Notification Draw Criticism?

The proposed exemption raised concerns because it could have restricted access to information concerning several sensitive public-interest issues.

Among the areas covered by the department are records related to police firing, deaths in custody, police torture, deaths of remand prisoners, communal and caste clashes, political protests and inquiries into law-and-order incidents.

The notification therefore attracted criticism from political leaders and transparency advocates, particularly over the potential impact on public access to records involving police action and human-rights concerns.

However, Section 24 does not create an unrestricted exemption. Information relating to allegations of corruption and human-rights violations remains subject to the specific provisions and procedures prescribed under the RTI Act.

Karti Chidambaram Criticises the Move

Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram criticised the government's original decision, arguing that the Law and Order Department deals with information of significant public interest.

He referred to matters including police firing inquiries, custodial deaths, torture, deaths of remand prisoners, communal and caste clashes and politically sensitive cases.

Chidambaram said restricting such information was inconsistent with the principle of transparent governance and argued that the scope of RTI should not be reduced.

After the government withdrew the notification, Chidambaram welcomed the decision and subsequently commented on the role of officials in shaping government administration.

Tamilisai Soundararajan Questions RTI Exemption

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan also criticised the original notification.

She questioned why a government confident about its decisions would restrict access to information through RTI and described the move as undemocratic. Her comments came amid wider political criticism of the exemption.

Government Withdraws the Order

Following the criticism, the Tamil Nadu government issued a fresh order withdrawing the exemption.

The Human Resources Management (R) Department specifically stated that Government Order No. 57, dated September 21, 2026, concerning the exemption of the Public (Law and Order) Department under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act, “stands revoked.”

With the withdrawal, the Public (Law and Order) Department is no longer covered by the newly introduced exemption.

The government has not publicly given a detailed reason explaining why the original notification was issued or why it was subsequently withdrawn. Reports have attributed the reversal to the backlash that followed the announcement, but the government's rescission order itself does not set out a detailed justification.

Key Highlights

• Tamil Nadu withdrew the RTI exemption for the Public (Law and Order) Department on September 27, 2026.
• The original exemption was issued under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.
• The department had been classified as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation”.
• The exemption could have affected access to records involving police action, custodial deaths and law-and-order incidents.
• Information concerning communal and caste clashes, political agitations and related cases was among the areas handled by the department.
• Karti P Chidambaram criticised the original decision and later welcomed its withdrawal.
• BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan also criticised the exemption.
• The government did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for the original notification or its withdrawal.
• The withdrawal means the newly created exemption no longer applies to the Public (Law and Order) Department.

Professional Disclaimer & Third-Party Reference

This article is prepared using information reported by established third-party news organisations and news agencies, including ANI, The Times of India, DT NEXT, The Indian Express and other publicly available reports. Details concerning government notifications and statements have been presented based on the cited reporting available as of September 27, 2026. Readers should refer to the official Tamil Nadu Government Gazette and government orders for the authoritative legal text.

Conclusion

The Tamil Nadu government's decision to withdraw the Public (Law and Order) Department's RTI exemption came within hours of the notification and followed criticism over transparency and public access to sensitive law-and-order records. For now, the proposed exemption has been rescinded, leaving the department outside the newly created Section 24(4) exemption.