Chennai: At a time when top politicians and bureaucrats are disclosing the details of their personal wealth so as to bring transparency in their public life, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi has refused to do so, citing personal freedom and security risk. Reports, Friday, claimed that UPA chairperson has refused to entertain an RTI query seeking details of her I-T returns from the year 2000-2001 to 2010-2011, saying the details of her income tax returns were with the concerned department.
The make came to light when Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, New Delhi, wrote to Sonia Gandhi on January 23 as per Section 11 of the RTI Act, 2005, seeking her response to an RTI application moved by Chennai-based RTI activist V Gopalakrishnan.
In her reply to the Assistant Commissioner, who is also the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO), the Congress president said there was no public interest involved in disclosing such information.
In her reply to the I-T department, the UPA chairperson expressed concerns that disclosure of such personal information to third parties in the pretext of transparency in public life also tantamount to the invasion of the individual's privacy.
She further stated that information submitted to the I-T department by an individual is confidential in nature and cannot be disclosed as per Section 138 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 as the same can be misused.
Owing to Sonia Gandhi’s reply, the RTI query was rejected by the CPIO.
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