12282 - Subramanian Swamy terms compulsory Aadhaar 'threat to national security'-Money Control

Subramanian Swamy terms compulsory Aadhaar 'threat to national security'

Swamy’s Tuesday morning tweet came after the Supreme Court of India on Monday granted asked the central government to respond to a petition that challenged linking of Aadhaar with mobile numbers within 4 weeks.

ByMoneycontrol News

Moneycontrol News

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has termed compulsory Aadhaar a “threat to national security” and said that he would be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the same.

The veteran politician took to microblogging site Twitter to express his opinion. “I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC (Supreme Court) will I am sure strike it down,” Swamy’s tweet read.

Subramanian Swamy

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@Swamy39

I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down.

12:58 PM - Oct 31, 2017

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Swamy’s Tuesday morning tweet came after the Supreme Court of India on Monday granted asked the central government to respond to a petition that challenged linking of Aadhar with mobile numbers within four weeks.

Insight 18 | How Aadhaar Will Transform India In The Future

How Aadhaar Will Transform India In The Future

In a separate development, the Supreme Court on Monday questioned the West Bengal government for filing a plea challenging the Centre's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.

The top court asked how a state can challenge the mandate of Parliament. "How can a state file such a plea. In a federal structure, how can a state file a plea challenging Parliament's mandate," a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

Four Aadhaar Deadlines To Keep In Mind

01:17

This is not the first time Swamy has spoken out against Aadhaar. In 2015, Moneylife quoted the BJP leader as saying that Aadhaar was a disaster. "Aadhaar is a disaster. It is based on existing data systems. Software is prepared by foreign companies. Aadhaar should be scrapped. Sooner or later, it is bound to happen,” Swamy had said.

12271 - Swamy raises questions about Aadhaar's security, talks about GST- News Bytes

Swamy raises questions about Aadhaar's security, talks about GST

29 Oct 2017 | By Shiladitya Ray

In an interview with Mirror Now, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy voiced his concern regarding the Aadhaar infrastructure which, according to Swamy, might be susceptible to abuse by American intelligence agencies.

He specifically criticized the government's decision to use an American company to develop some core software for the Aadhaar system.

Swamy also added that GST was not responsible for economic slowdown.

In context: Swamy raises questions about security of Aadhaar data

29 Oct 2017

Swamy raises questions about Aadhaar's security, talks about GST

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Swamy says security is impossible for Aadhaar data

"I am opposing it [Aadhaar] not on the grounds of technology, but on the grounds that security is impossible the way we've gone about it," said Swamy.

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Aadhaar

Swamy not the first one to raise concerns about Aadhaar

Swamy's concerns about Aadhaar aren't the first of their kind.

Back in 2013, the CPI(M) had questioned the ties between the UIDAI system and the US software firm, reportedly financed by the CIA's finance arm In-Q-Tel. The party had demanded immediate severance of ties and suspension of the UIDAI.

These allegations were based on revelations by WikiLeaks about CIA's links with the company.

Americans will have the biometric data of Indians

"We've literally sold our interests.. we've risked our interests rather, by going to other people. The entire biological profile of Indian individuals will be available via computers to the Americans," added the BJP leader.

GST

Swamy's comments on GST implementation

Swamy denied that the GST was behind India's economic slowdown, but conceded that GST implementation had "harassed a lot of people" saying that he had advised implementation after 2019.

Further, he said that the economic slowdown had begun way back in 2011 under the UPA government, but a rebasement of key indices and economic indicators had masked the truth.

12270 - CIA biggest beneficiary of Aadhaar, says Swamy; GST not behind slowdown - Ultra news

CIA biggest beneficiary of Aadhaar, says Swamy; GST not behind slowdown

Sreejiraj Eluvangal 2017-10-28 POLITICS, SOCIETY

BJP leader and libertarian politician Subramanian Swamy said he believes that the design of Aadhaar system exposes core data to ‘American intelligence agencies’ and expressed consternation that the government was continuing with the unique identification number scheme.

image: https://i1.wp.com/ultra.news/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/swamy.png?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1

Subramanian Swamy | Wikipedia

Speaking to Mirror Now on the controversies around the linking of bank accounts, tax accounts and mobile numbers to Aadhaar, Swamy said he was not against linking them per se, but that the Aadhaar infrastructure was not suited for the purpose.

Specifically, he said, the decision to go with an American company to build some of the core software used in the system made it vulnerable to misuse by American intelligence agencies.

“I am opposing it not on the grounds of technology, but on the grounds that security is impossible the way we’ve gone about it,” Swamy said.

“We’ve literally sold our interests.. we’ve risked our interests rather, by going to other people. The entire biological profile of Indian individuals will be available via computers to the Americans,” he added.

Swamy is not the first to make the allegations, which stemmed from revelations made by Wikileaks about CIA’s links to an American firm that developed some core software used in the Aadhaar project. The CPIM too had highlighted the issue in 2013.

“If you can have a foolproof system by which all this can be linked, I would welcome it. But the way we gave the software to black-listed American company (for development).. the biggest beneficiaries of this Aadhaar and all this linking up and, earlier on, Mr Nilekani’s mad ideas, they are all favorable to the American intelligence interests,” Swamy said.

He also expressed his consternation that the government seemed determined to go ahead with the scheme created under the previous, Congress Party-led government.

“If the government is determined, like they were in GST despite my warnings.. If the government is determined to do something despite the best advice, then what can I do,” he said.

GST NOT BEHIND SLOWDOWN

Swamy was also asked about the implementation of the revolutionary Goods and Services Tax in India.

The tax system is meant to simply the myriad taxes paid by businesses in India and replace them with a single levy. However, it has increased the cost of compliance for small businesses and traders as it is harder to evade.

The Congress Party, which tried hard to impose the system during its rule, has now termed it the Gabbar Singh tax after a dacoit in the hit movie Sholay.

Swamy and some others within the BJP had opposed the government’s decision to implement the tax policy now, but the leadership led by Narendra Modi was keen to restart India’s stalled economic reforms.

“I wouldn’t blame the slowdown on GST, but I certainly think GST has harassed a lot of people. I had written to the Prime Minister we should do it after 2019, but Mr Jaitley was in no mood (to do so),” he said.

He said a decision to rebase key indices and economic indicators towards the end of the Congress’ tenure in government had helped mask the economic decline that the country had already come under.

“The slowdown has been going on from the UPA period. It’s only because the finance ministry changed the base of the price index, it didn’t appear that the decline had started from 2011. When Mr Chidambaram returned to the (finance) ministry after his disastrous tenure in the home ministry, this started happening,” he said.

Read more at https://ultra.news/s-e/34250/cia-biggest-beneficiary-aadhaar-says-swamy-gst-not-behind-slowdown#FphwEOVwXEY4MVe8.99

11851 - Now onto Aadhaar modification: Subramanian Swamy - Governance Now

Now onto Aadhaar modification: Subramanian Swamy

We made Aadhaar law and provided legal framework for protection its data, said union minister RS Prasad

GN Bureau | August 24, 2017

Now onto Aadhaar modification, said BJP leader Subramanian Swamy after the supreme court unanimously declared that the right to privacy was a fundamental right under the Constitution.

Follow

Subramanian Swamy

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@Swamy39

PTs note that today SC 9 Bench undid the 1962 8 judge Bench Nehru time decision, holding Privacy as only an ordinary Right

4:20 PM - Aug 24, 2017

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He welcomed the supreme court judgment and said that right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. “Now onto Aadhar modification,” he tweeted.

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Subramanian Swamy

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@Swamy39

Welcome the SC judgment that Right to Privacy is a fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Now onto Aadhar modification

3:16 PM - Aug 24, 2017

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Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed the apex court verdict on the right to privacy and said: 

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Ravi Shankar Prasad

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@rsprasad

Supreme Court has said that #RightToPrivacy is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions.

8:10 PM - Aug 24, 2017

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He added that the supreme court has “taken note of the committee formed by the government on data protection”.

“We welcome all the principles laid down by the supreme court in the right to privacy verdict,” he stressed.

The minister said that Aadhaar during the UPA regime had no protection of law.

Follow

Ravi Shankar Prasad

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@rsprasad

#Aadhaar during UPA regime had no protection of law.We made Aadhaar law & provided legal framework for protection its data. #RightToPrivacy

8:22 PM - Aug 24, 2017

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A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar ruled that the right was “an intrinsic part of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 and the entire Part III of the Constitution”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted:

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Office of RG

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@OfficeOfRG

Welcome the SC verdict upholding #RightToPrivacy as an intrinsic part of individual's liberty, freedom & dignity. A victory for every Indian

6:13 PM - Aug 24, 2017

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5468 - ‘NDA will scrap Aadhaar if it gets mandate’ - Samachar

BANGALORE, April 13, 2014

Updated: April 13, 2014 03:27 IST

‘NDA will scrap Aadhaar if it gets mandate’

Government will also order an investigation into the entire project, says Ananth Kumar

Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Ananth Kumar on Saturday said the NDA would scrap the “contentious” Aadhaar project if it got a mandate in the Lok Sabha elections.

The government would also order an investigation into the entire project, he said. Quoting party leader Subramanian Swamy, who said that cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act could be booked against the concerned with regard to the project, Mr. Ananth Kumar said the process too would start, maybe through a public interest litigation petition.

Mr. Ananth Kumar was speaking to presspersons here after the party released its “commitment letter” to Bangalore’s development.

Responding to a question on the continuation of Aadhaar, he said the Supreme Court had already directed that the project should not be made mandatory for government schemes.

Citizen Register

The NDA government had made attempts to bring in the National Register of Citizenship and Citizenship Card. While citizenship was based on declaration by the government, Aadhaar was based on domicile for 11 months. The NDA government had also taken up a pilot project of Citizen Register, but the United Progressive Alliance government had shelved it, he charged.

Mr. Ananth Kumar said Aadhaar could be obtained just by proof of residence by anyone. As such, it was a great threat to national security. Also, the agencies involved in Aadhaar registration — L 1 and Accenture — were not Indian companies, and Accenture had been blacklisted in the United States, he said.

Keywords: Ananth Kumar, Lok Sabha polls, Lok Sabha, Lok Sabha elections 2014, Congress, BJP, NDA

5414 - Nilekani squandered national resources to US firm: Swamy - Indian Express

Nilekani squandered national resources to US firm: Swamy

Swamy also attacked his bête noire finance minister P Chidambaram saying the Congress minister had left the country’s economy in a mess. 

Express News Service | Bangalore | March 31, 2014 6:05 am

Swamy called the UIDAI 'the most useless scheme.' (PTI) 

Recent entrant to BJP and economist Subramanian Swamy on Sunday accused Bangalore South Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani of making the Aadhaar card a poll issue and then objecting to questions raised on it by rival parties.

Nilekani “should not have campaigned on UIDAI in this election and having done so he must be ready to face the attacks,’’ said Swamy. He called for a commission of inquiry at a later date to go into the entire Aadhaar card project to find out if it had been mis-utilised.

Swamy called the UIDAI “the most useless scheme as judged by a study done by the IIM-Ahmedabad and a Standing Committee of Parliament on finance.”

“In my opinion Nilekani should be prosecuted under Section 13 (1) (d) part 3 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for squandering national resources to US-based companies involved,” he said. “Some Rs 3,000 crore has been spent but so far there has been no accounting, commission of inquiry at a later date be able to find out about the funds,’’ he said.

The BJP leader also attacked his bête noire finance minister P Chidambaram saying the Congress minister had left the country’s economy in a mess.

“We are in a very, very delicate situation and the new government will have to undertake major economic reforms to rectify what damage the UPA has done to Indian economy,” Swamy said.

“We are in a complete mess and the most alarming part of today’s situation is that the budget has been put in such a difficult and bad state by Chidambaram,’’ he said. “A situation of bankruptcy has descended on the Indian economy and things will have to be rectified in six months,” he said.

“We were affected by the instrument created by Chidambaram that was called participatory note. Participatory note is a method of laundering money that goes out of India to bring it back and invest it in our stock market,” Swamy said.

“The crisis was entirely due to the UPA in creating an instrument, a derivative called participatory note. It is the most dangerous money laundering weapon created in any country. Tomorrow we abolish participatory notes and this crisis will disappear,’’ he said.

5403 - Swamy seeks graft probe against Nilekani - TNN

Swamy seeks graft probe against Nilekani

TNN | Mar 31, 2014, 02.31AM IST

BANGALORE: BJP national vice-president Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani be subjected to an inquiry under Sec 13(D)(3) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

Speaking to mediapersons here, Swamy alleged that huge sums of money have been misused and a thorough probe should be conducted into the Aadhaar project.

"So far Rs 4,000 crore has been spent on Aadhaar. Also, more than Rs 12,560 crore has been reserved for it. In case UPA 3 comes to power, more funds will be given. Crores of non-citizens of this country have been given Aadhaar," he said. He also alleged that an Aadhaar contract was granted to a blacklisted company.

At another discussion on Aadhaar, Swamy alleged electronic voting machines (EVMs) could be rigged by tampering with their microcontrollers. Swamy said the Supreme Court, on a petition from him, ordered a reformation in EVMs but the Election Commission had implemented the same only in seven parliamentary constituencies, citing shortage of funds.

Questioning the Centre's unaccounted expenditure on Aadhaar that guaranteed no transparency instead of investing the same in foolproof EVMs, he said Aadhaar is 'niraadhar' or baseless as it is not a statutory body. and, instead, is affiliated to the Planning Commission, he added.