Lokayukta urges police to protect whistleblowers.

The Hindu: Hyderabad:Monday, September 2015.

Lokayukta B. Subhashan Reddy and Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma at the Right To Information meet in the city on Sunday. Lokayukta B. Subhashan Reddy requested the State police to protect the rights of Right to Information activists. In the past, several instances of violence against RTI activists were reported, he pointed out.

Whistleblowers have to be protected in a democracy, he stressed. Mr. Reddy was speaking at the Right to Information meet organised by Social and RTI Groups Confederation. The meeting was attended by close to 250 RTI activists from across the two States.

At the meet, Central Information Commissioner Madabushi Sridhar said that RTI Act should not be misused to target people. “The Act in principle ensures free flow of information. But information obtained under it should be used judiciously,” he said. Authorities pointed out that often, information obtained under the RTI Act does not get used for public good. Director General of Police (DGP), Anurag Sharma said the Telangana police havr been supporting genuine activists who bring out societal evils using RTI.

“Most RTI activists have to face power centres and most need protection. Several activists have been getting threats from people in power for seeking sensitive information,” said P. Veerabhadra Rao, president of the association.