It is often that people get curious about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his lifestyle that has made headlines for his selection of wardrobe, his choice of fruits, and his working hours
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PIB
It is often that people get curious about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his lifestyle that has made headlines for his selection of wardrobe, his choice of fruits, and his working hours.
People in the past have used the Right to Information (RTI) Act to find out if Modi actually holds a BA Degree from Delhi University and to know about the amount of money spent on his wardrobe.
In a similar request, an RTI applicant sought to know how the PM and his cabinet ministers got haircuts during the COVID-induced lockdown.
According to a report by The Wire, an RTI applicant, Nilesh G Prabhu, filed an application in May 2020 to know if the lockdown had also impacted the country’s leaders just as much as ordinary citizens, especially when it comes to visiting barbers’ shops.
Prabhu also sought to know how many times did Modi get his hair cut between 19 March 2020 and 4 May 2020. He also asked for details of the person or barber who may have performed these tasks.
Let’s take a look at how the authorities responded to Prabhu’s queries and other such bizarre RTI requests in the past:
Prabhu’s RTI on Modi’s hair cut
When the prime minister’s office (PMO) ignored Prabhu’s request, he took the matter to the first appellate authority.
The public information officer (PIO) responded saying that the “information sought is personal in nature and is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.”
Not satisfied with the PIO’s response, Prabhu further approached the Central Information Commission (CIC), which stated that “an appropriate response” had been provided and the appellant had not been able to justify that a “larger public interest” was involved in his plea.
“The query raised in the application is rather absurd, frivolous and vexatious, clearly amounting to the misuse of the provisions of the Act,” the CIC said.
Other curious RTI requests regarding PM Modi
Considered a master orator, Modi has been praised for his stirring speeches that are believed to be impromptu. However, an RTI revealed that the Information & Broadcasting Ministry facilitates teleprompting assistance to the PM while speaking at events, inside and outside the country.
According to India TV News, an RTI revealed that PM Modi pays the bills for his kitchen at 7 Race Course Road as he believes it is a personal expense. The RTI had also asked the PMO to provide the copies of bills of spices and vegetables.
In 2016, an RTI application requested the details of leaves taken by the PM, to which the PMO revealed that Modi had not taken a single day off since he came to power.
In a response to the RTI application, the PMO said that a prime minister of India is on duty all the time.
Another application asked for the speed of internet connection used by the Prime MInister. It responded by saying, “the speed of internet access in PMO is 34 mbps.”
When asked about the PM’s working hours, the PMO said he can be said to be “on duty all the time”.
As per the India TV report, another RTI revealed that Modi loves eating Gujarati food, especially bajra roti and khichdi made by his cook Badrilal Meena.
Another bizarre RTI asked if Modi worked in a Ramlila party before entering politics. And if he did, what was the role he played. The PMO responded by saying “Information sought is not part of record”.
The PMO revealed to an RTI that Modi himself manages his personal Twitter and Facebook accounts, while the PMO’s official social media accounts are handled by his office.
With inputs from agencies
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