The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday welcomed the verdict of Supreme Court on Aadhaar scheme, which provides constitutional validity to the Centre’s flagship scheme with some modifications.
The ruling party hailed the verdict as a big victory for the Narendra Modi-led government asserting that the top court had clarified that Aadhaar did not violate privacy.
“The judgment of SC on Aadhaar is a big victory for the Modi government. Apart from upholding the constitutional validity of UIDAI, Supreme Court has also stated that Aadhaar does not violate privacy,” ANI quoted BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra as saying.
While BJP termed it as victory for Modi government, the Congress, on the other hand, said the SC’s verdict was a “slap on the face of BJP”.
Congress welcomed the top court’s decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allowed private parties to access Aadhaar data.
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act. Private entities are no longer allowed to use Aadhaar for verification purposes,” the Congress said on Twitter minutes after the verdict.
We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act. Private entities are no longer allowed to use Aadhaar for verification purposes. #AadhaarVerdict
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 26, 2018
The delinking of Aadhaar from private entities is a ‘slap on the face of BJP”, said Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Read | Supreme Court upholds constitutional validity of Aadhaar, but strikes down Section 57
“Slap on the face of BJP. Justice Sikri judgement strikes down Section 57 of Aadhaar Act, 2016, which says private body corporates can seek Aadhaar data. Says it’s unconstitutional. All plans to monetise biometric data now fail,” he tweeted.
Slap on the face of BJP. Justice Sikri judgement strikes down Section 57 of Aadhaar Act, 2016, which says private body corporates can seek Aadhaar data. Says it’s unconstitutional. All plans to monetise biometric data now fail
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) September 26, 2018
He also hailed the Supreme Court’s move to disallow metadata to be stored in current form.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also took to Twitter and applauded the quashing of ‘draconian’ Section 57.
“#AadhaarVerdict upholds the individual’s ‘right to privacy’.
Modi Govt’s draconian Section 57 quashed – Bank A/c, Mobile, School, Airlines, Travel Agents, Pvt entities requiring Aaadhar Data quashed.
Time to take next step to destroy the citizen’s data so collected now,” he tweeted.
#AadhaarVerdict upholds the individual’s ‘right to privacy’.
Modi Govt’s draconian Section 57 quashed – Bank A/c, Mobile, School, Airlines, Travel Agents, Pvt entities requiring Aaadhar Data quashed.
Time to take next step to destroy the citizen’s data so collected now.
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 26, 2018
In a joint statement issued by the party later, senior leaders Ashok Gehlot, Kapil Sibal and Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “The Congress Party stands for an Aadhar which is voluntary and backed by a valid law. It stands for an Aadhar which provides a genuinely stable, secure and viable alternative to existing forms of identification aimed at making it the most important tool for delivery of benefits rather than invasion of privacy.”
Read | 10 major takeaways from Supreme Court verdict on Aadhaar
Earlier in the day, the apex court’s five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said Aadhaar is meant to help benefits reach marginalised sections of society and takes into account the dignity of people not only from the personal but also from the community point of view.
The top court said Aadhaar serves a bigger public interest. Aadhaar means unique and it is better to be unique than be the best, it said.