The former Union Minister questioned current Narendra Modi government's intention on new Bill, says it was always voluntary and should remain like this
By Saurav Mukherjee on March 16, 2016 at 5:45 PM
New Delhi, March 16: Soon after the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley justified the government’s take on the new upgraded Aadhaar Bill and presented it in the Upper House of the Parliament, former Union Minister and renowned academician Jairam Ramesh questioned the Union government’s intention on the latest Bill and said that the bill was voluntary and by any chance should not be made mandatory.
Referring to the speech and the new updated Bill, Ramesh said that the he or his party do not believe that Aadhar be made mandatory across the nation. The lawmaker raised questions on the clause 57 and clause 7 of the legislation which gives the interpretation and open the door for mandatory use of the Aadhaar number.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Ramesh said, “I don’t have an Aadhaar number and I don’t need one, because I am not a beneficiary of subsidy, but tomorrow if I want a mobile connection, the guys says….where is your Aadhaar number! U made it mandatory no!”
He further said that the whole idea of Aadhaar is subsidy reforms and remove fake, duplicate identities. But he was of the opinion that every individual must have the flexibility to opt out of Aadhar. He said, “Every individual must have the flexibility to opt out of Aadhar, that’s what the essence of voluntariliness means and the legislation has currently drafted does not allow the room for manoeuvre to somebody to either opt out of Aadhaar or somebody who does not desire the Aadhaar number.”
Reminding the House of Justice A P Shah committee report in 2012, Ramesh deliberately brought the issue and said the new law would give sweeping powers under the name of national security, which won’t be apt. He recalled Indian telegraph act of 1885 which does not mentions the word ‘national security’ and instead use “public emergency and public safety”. Ramesh said that most of the parliamentarians are afraid that powers are given to UIDAI, then it would be misused and being a representative, they do not prefer it.
Modified Date: March 16, 2016 5:45 PM