After facing severe backlash from political parties and activists, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday (September 27, 2026) decided to withdraw a controversial order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, on the ground that it was an Intelligence and Security Organisation.

A Government Order (dated September 21, 2026) to this effect was issued by the Human Resources Management Department and notified in the Government Gazette. The order was issued under Section 24 (4) of the RTI Act, 2005. After strong criticism from various civil society organisations, the order was later withdrawn.

Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said in a post on X that the Government Order (G.O.) had been withdrawn. Earlier in the day, while speaking to reporters in Madurai, the Minister had defended the G.O., claiming that only certain provisions including information related to communal clashes were kept under the ambit of the RTI Act, 2005, considering the sensitivity of the information.

The Public (Law and Order) Department deals with subjects such as communal and caste clashes; the appointment of Commissions of Inquiry on law and order-related matters and follow-up action on their recommendations; all matters relating to COFEPOSA and NSA detentions, including representations by detenus and habeas corpus petitions filed by detenus or on their behalf in the High Court and Supreme Court; and the conduct of monthly law and order review meetings and special law and order meetings as per the instructions of the Chief Secretary.

It also includes examining inquiry reports into the opening of fire by the police and inquiry reports into deaths in police custody, police torture and deaths of remand prisoners; NHRC references relating to matters dealt with by the Law and Order wing; furnishing monthly reports on law and order and communal incidents to the Government of India; furnishing replies to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha questions relating to law and order matters; dealing with agitations by students, agricultural labourers and political parties; requests for withdrawal of cases registered on political grounds, communal/caste clashes, political agitations and student agitations; and matters relating to sanction of prosecution for defamatory articles, news items and speeches.

AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Sunday (September 27) opposed the G.O. He criticised the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government of having assured transparency in governance only to decide later to exempt sensitive subjects pertaining to the law and order from the ambit of the RTI Act. Seeking an explanation in this regard from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Mr. Dhinakaran called for revoking the decision exempting subjects pertaining to the law and order, from the ambit of the RTI Act.

Environmental activist G. Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal said the timing of the order was deeply concerning. The earlier controversy over a law and order meeting chaired by Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar had already raised serious questions after the minutes of the meeting became public and drew strong opposition from the Left parties. The government had subsequently withdrawn a controversial circular on collegiate education that had followed the directions issued at the meeting.

Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan condemned the G.O. and demanded its immediate withdrawal. He said the entire Law and Order section of the Public Department could not be kept outside the purview of the RTI Act.