Congress, activist questions U.P. Culture department’s ‘silence’ over repeated RTI requests on public money

Pushing for transparency, extortion of nationalist rights, the Congress enactment connected Saturday (May 16, 2026) questioned the Uttar Pradesh civilization section for failing to supply accusation contempt aggregate requests by a Lucknow section connected funding, outgo of nationalist wealth by the section to definite societal organizations and individual.

“An idiosyncratic Desh Deepak Dubey reached to maine implicit repeated hold by the Department of Culture and Culture Directorate giving Right to Information (RTI) reply of request/registration fig DPCUL/R/2025/60047 filed successful December 2025, which was transferred to Culture Directorate vide caller registration fig DRCUL/R/2026/80002 successful January, 2026. The aforesaid petition is pending with caller registration fig DPCUL/R/2026/80011 with the civilization directorate, but reply is awaited. After, failing to get a effect from the department, the appellant reached to the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, for the reply, the Chief Secretary bureau forwarded the petition to civilization department, but again the effect is awaited.

“The RTI relates to accusation of outgo by the civilization section to definite societal enactment and idiosyncratic for taste events successful the State, it is fundamentally the accusation petition astir usage of nationalist money,” said Shahnawaz Alam, nationalist secretary, Congress.

Mr. Alam alleged done hold and adjacent not responding to forwarding by the Chief Secretary office, the civilization section is giving content that it wants to fell information. “The basal thought of RTI instrumentality is to boost openness successful however authorities institutions run by granting citizens access, to accusation held by authorities and nationalist bodies. Its extremity is to summation oversight of authorities activities. By remaining soundless connected information, it seems the section is canceling thing astir almighty groups,” added the Congress leader.

The appellant Desh Deepak Dubey, who is an activist, added helium files RTI to cheque corruption and nepotism aiming to bring accusation successful nationalist domain. “I americium looking for information from the section connected its expenditure successful taste events and organisation to organizations, but determination is soundlessness implicit my petition for information. Our cardinal purpose is to beforehand transparency,” said Mr. Dubey, who claims to beryllium an RTI activist. The Hindu reached retired to the Uttar Pradesh civilization section implicit allegations but failed to get a response.