The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave its verdict on the controversial Aadhaar card and both the Union government-led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress are trying to take credit of the judgement. On one side Congress leader Kapil Sibal is claiming victory, on the other, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is boasting their government’s achievements. However, both claim that they are yet to look at the details of the judgement.
Soon after the verdict, the Union ministers — Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad — addressed the press conference in the national capital. In the conference, rather than concentrating on disseminating information of the judgement, the ministers looked more concerned on attacking the opposition for their flaws in not letting the Aadhaar to be a national identity card.
Addressing the press conference, Jaitley said, “Everyone who has been criticising Aadhaar should understand that they cannot defy technology. Mainstream should accept changes, one can understand the fringe being against.” He attacked the Congress and said, “Congress cuts a very sorry figure here, they introduced the idea but they did not know what to do with it. They (Congress) were the pioneers of Aadhaar and have now become its biggest opponents.” The Union Finance Minister was of the opinion that the condition of Congress these days, is that they cannot differentiate between the right and left hand.
Jaitley welcomed the verdict and stated that the Union government will go by the judgement which the Supreme Court announced. Claiming it a historic judgement, he said, “Aadhaar’s concept has been accepted after judicial review. We welcome this decision of the Supreme Court.” Jaitley added that he is quite happy with the permitted areas rather than prohibited areas. However, he stated that he is yet to go through the details of the judgement and it won’t be appropriate for him to comment o the issue.
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Supporting the arguments of Jaitley, another Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the comments of Sibal show arrogance. He said, “This judgement is a judgement of empowering democracy and the marginalised. The court himself said no state-sponsored surveillance is possible. The Congress’s stand on Aadhaar is nothing but arrogant.” He added that Supreme Court’s held the purpose of Aadhaar is legitimate and are in state interest, but claimed that it is not a surveillance tool.
On the other hand, Congress leader and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal welcomed the Supreme Court judgement but questioned the Union government for its laxity and its alleged arrogance. Addressing a press conference, Sibal said, “Had the government not been arrogant, if they have given up the arrogance and allowed the democratic process to work and brought this matter to the Rajya Sabha, none of this would have happened.”
Adding more he claimed, “But the result of all this is that crore of people’s bio-data is in private hands and there is no way of retrieving that data. Whatever has been collected now the SC said is illegal. Why did this government allow this illegality to happen? This act of theirs has done immeasurable harm to the people of the country. Who will pay for it? Will the Prime Minister pay for it?”
Reacting on the judgement, Congress president Rahul Gandhi too shared his happiness. He took to Twitter and wrote, “For Congress, Aadhaar was an instrument of empowerment. For the BJP, Aadhaar is a tool of oppression and surveillance. Thank you Supreme Court for supporting the Congress vision and protecting. #AadhaarVerdict.”
Announcing the verdict on Aadhaar, the Supreme Court had observed that the Aadhaar card would not be mandatory in private companies anymore. Striking down article 57 of the Aadhaar Card Act, the bench directed private companies, including banks and mobile companies to not to ask for Aadhaar details. The bench announced the verdict based on the petitioners’ arguments, supported by proofs, which the government could not defend completely. The petitioners include — Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha, feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon, social activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil De, Nachiket Udupa and CPI leader Binoy Visman.
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