Friday, December 2 2005 14:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Naval Chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, today (Dec 2, 2005) said that Armed Forces should have been kept out of the purview of the Right to Information Act (RTI) in view of their involvement in handling National Security issues.

"Armed forces should have also been covered by Clause (8) of the Act, as they handle sensitive national security issues", Prakash said while addressing a press conference on the observance of 'Navy Day'.

"We have put our views to the Government on this", hesaid assuring that as long as Government did not move to amend the act, Navy would provide information to the public as stipulated by the act.

Prakash said when organisations like Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Assam Rifles, CBI and even police organisation in Andaman island had been covered under clause (8), "How can armed forces who deal with highly sensitive information and issues be not not kept out".