Major national parties, including Congress, today attacked the CIC order on bringing parties under the RTI Act ambit while the government reacted sharply as BJP ploughed a lonely furrow by welcoming it.
A day after the CIC gave its ruling, Congress rejected it as an "adventurist" approach that would "harm" democractic institutions, a view virtually endorsed by the other national parties CPI(M), JD(U) and NCP.
Two senior Union Ministers P Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid, who are lawyers by profession, were also critical of the order saying it "strains credulity and not based on credible argument".
Khurshid said it is important to keep a practical control of RTI objectives as they cannot be allowed to "run riot".
BJP, however, felt there was nothing wrong in the CIC order.
"BJP is not against anything that brings transparency and accountability which is equally applicable to all. We will follow the law," said BJP spokesman Capt Abhimanyu.
By contrast, Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said "it is not acceptable. We totally disagree with it. Such adventurist approach will create lot of harm and damage to democratic institutions".
