Congress welcomes Supreme Court’s Aadhaar Verdict; tells people to ask PM to give back their data

The Congress on Wednesday, September 26, welcomed the Supreme Court verdict declaring the central government’s Aadhaar scheme constitutionally valid, while striking down certain sections, including 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 (sic)," the Congress said on Twitter minutes after the verdict.

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 is serving a bigger public interest. Aadhaar means unique and it is better to be unique than be the best, it said.

“Quashing of Modi Government’s surveillance tool Section 57 puts an end to abuse of power. Supreme Court ends the mass surveillance exercise being carried out under the guise of Aadhaar by the Central Government and the grotesque distortion of an idea conceived by the UPA. The Congress-led UPA’s vision of Aadhaar was always voluntary and never mandatory. This is an endorsement of the UPA’s vision for Aadhaar and a rejection of the NDA’s clumsy attempt to gather meta data on its citizens without any rationale,” said Congress’ communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.

The party’s national spokesperson Sanjay Jha told citizens to ask PM Modi to give back their data which has been taken by mobile companies and banks. “Why did the government take our #Aadhar information when it was sub judice? Now they already have access to your info. How fair is that? It is daylight robbery,” said Jha.

Odisha Congress President Niranjan Patnaik said, “The apex court has vindicated the Congress party's stand and upheld citizen's right to privacy by striking down Section 57 which was clearly Modi sarkar's attempt to overreach and poke its nose in our day to day affairs.”

Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Jaiveer Shergill said “Dear Mobile Phone Operators and banks—you harassed us and forced us to link Aadhaar to your system. After Supreme Court judgment, kindly delete the data collected otherwise you shall be considered in possession of stolen property as I withdraw my consent to use my info.”

With PTI inputs