New Delhi, 13 March (H.S.): The Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre on a new petition challenging provisions of India's data protection law, tagging it with pending similar cases. A bench presided by Chief Justice Suryakant ordered the linkage during the hearing.

Filed by Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, the plea seeks a stay on select clauses, arguing they severely undermine the Right to Information (RTI) Act while granting the government unchecked powers.

On February 16, the court had similarly notified the Centre on prior petitions by Venkatesh Nayak, The Reporters' Collective, and journalist Nitin Sethi, deeming the matter sensitive as it balances privacy and transparency.

Petitioners' counsel Vrinda Grover contended the law fails to safeguard privacy adequately, likening its approach to wielding a sledgehammer instead of a chisel.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar