Welcome SC verdict, but privacy not an absolute right: Government
NEW DELHI: The Centre today welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling holding privacy as aFundamental Right, saying the top court has only "affirmed" the government's position on this issue.
"Supreme Court has affirmed what Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said in Parliament while moving Aadhaar Bill in Parliament. Modi government stands
committed to all the principles outlined by the Supreme Court," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
"Government has been consistently of the view that right to privacy should be a Fundamental Right," Prasad said.
"The Attorney General too, while arguing in the Supreme Court, said that it is a fundamental right. But like all fundamental rights, Right to Privacy is not absolute."
He also cited the judgments of the different Supreme Court judges to underscore that the court has upheld the government standpoint that right to privacy is not a absolute right.
"The court has said Right to Privacy is a fundamental right, but it is not an independent fundamental right, it is subject to reasonable restrictions," Prasad said.
Reacting to the assertion of the Congress that the verdict was a rejection of the BJP's ideology of "suppression through surveillance", Prasad asked: "What has been the record of the #Congress in protecting individual liberties was seen during Emergency."
"Government is led by leaders who have suffered in the hands of Congress during Emergency," he added.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his fascist remark, Prasad said Congress vice-president should have done home work before calling fascist.
"Rahul Gandhi should have read the judgement before making such statement. If he would have read the judgement he would not have made such statement," he said.
A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar today ruled that "right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 and entire Part III of the Constitution".
"Supreme Court has affirmed what Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said in Parliament while moving Aadhaar Bill in Parliament. Modi government stands
committed to all the principles outlined by the Supreme Court," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
"Government has been consistently of the view that right to privacy should be a Fundamental Right," Prasad said.
"The Attorney General too, while arguing in the Supreme Court, said that it is a fundamental right. But like all fundamental rights, Right to Privacy is not absolute."
He also cited the judgments of the different Supreme Court judges to underscore that the court has upheld the government standpoint that right to privacy is not a absolute right.
"The court has said Right to Privacy is a fundamental right, but it is not an independent fundamental right, it is subject to reasonable restrictions," Prasad said.
"Government is led by leaders who have suffered in the hands of Congress during Emergency," he added.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his fascist remark, Prasad said Congress vice-president should have done home work before calling fascist.
"Rahul Gandhi should have read the judgement before making such statement. If he would have read the judgement he would not have made such statement," he said.
A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar today ruled that "right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 and entire Part III of the Constitution".
