Agartala, April 23, 2026 — The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Central government’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, saying the law poses a serious threat to India’s democratic framework, press freedom and the public’s right to information. The party demanded the legislation be withdrawn and called on citizens and media to oppose the measure.
In a press statement, party spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty accused the ruling BJP and its ideological ally the RSS of attempting to concentrate monopolistic control over constitutional institutions. Chakraborty charged the government with linking delimitation and a proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats to the women’s reservation issue as a tactic to mislead the public.
Chakraborty argued the DPDP Act will diminish transparency by effectively legitimizing a “right to withhold information,” a change he said would undermine the Right to Information and weaken administrative accountability. He said the law’s consent-driven regimes would place onerous restrictions on information flows that are vital to democratic oversight.
The Pradesh Congress warned the law would particularly constrain journalists, who it says would face mandatory consent requirements before publishing personal information — a hurdle that could block reporting in the public interest. The statement also flagged provisions for heavy financial penalties that, the party said, could impose crippling burdens on individuals and organisations.
Party leaders expressed concern that the Act’s procedures could complicate disclosure of the identities of accused persons, potentially shielding influential or corrupt groups. Calling the DPDP Act a tool to protect vested interests, the Tripura Pradesh Congress urged the media and democratic-minded citizens to unite and vowed to intensify democratic movements to press the Centre to withdraw the legislation.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/local-news/pcc-slams-centres-data-protection-law-warns-of-threat-to-democracy-and-press-freedom/
Category: Local News,TRIPURA
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Publish Date: 2026-04-23 19:22:00
