RTI activists serve legal notice to Maharashtra government over new RTI rules

RTI activists, journalists and former information officials have served the Maharashtra government with a legal notice over the state’s new RTI Rules, 2026, demanding that the rules be withdrawn within 15 days.

The notice turns a week of criticism into a formal legal challenge. Reports published on June 25 and June 26 said the signatories warned the state of further legal action if it did not respond to the objections raised against the revised rules.

Legal notice

According to the reports, the notice was sent by transparency activists, journalists and former information officials, including a former chief information commissioner. Their argument is that the new rules weaken transparency and make it harder for people to use the Right to Information law to seek public records.

The demand is not for a narrow tweak. The notice seeks a rollback of the RTI Rules, 2026 itself, and gives the government 15 days to act.

The reports did not say the Maharashtra government had responded by press time.

A widening backlash

The legal notice comes after several days of escalating pushback against the revised RTI framework. Earlier reporting on June 18 said the changes had already drawn criticism over fee hikes and word limits, with campaigners arguing that the rules would make access to information more difficult.

That backlash had already produced one partial reversal. On June 22, Maharashtra withdrew the controversial clause that would have required RTI applicants to disclose the purpose of their request.

The withdrawal did not end the dispute. Instead, it left activists pressing for a broader rethink of the remaining provisions in the rules.

What the dispute now means

The latest move increases pressure on the state because it shifts the fight from criticism and protest into a formal legal demand. It also creates a clearer deadline for the government to answer the objections or risk further escalation.

Transparency advocates say the issue matters because RTI is one of the main tools available to ordinary citizens, journalists and civil society groups to seek information from public authorities. Any restriction that makes applications harder to file or answer is being treated as a test of administrative openness.

The issue is also carrying political weight beyond the legal notice itself. Anna Hazare separately warned that he could begin an indefinite hunger strike from July 5 if the rules were not withdrawn.

What comes next

The immediate question is whether the Maharashtra government issues a formal reply within the 15-day window or moves to amend the rules again.

If it does neither, the activists have indicated that further legal action may follow. The reporting also leaves open whether the state will defend the current version of the rules or make another retreat under pressure.

For now, the dispute over Maharashtra’s RTI Rules, 2026 has moved into a new phase: from public criticism, to a partial rollback, and now to a legal notice demanding a full withdrawal.