SC Issues Notice To Centre, Assam Govt & UIDAI On TMC Leader's Plea

The Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the Central government, the government of Assam, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) of Monday on a plea that sought directions to issue Aadhaar cards to the nearly 27 lakh people who were added in the supplementary list of Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC).

An SC bench comprising Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha asked them to file a response to the plea that filed by All India Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Sushmita Dev.

The court agreed to issue a notice in the matter and posted it in May.

The plea stated that nearly 27 lakh people, whose names were admitted into the NRC by way of the final supplementary list dated August 31 2019, were not being give their Aadhaar numbers as the NRC biometric data was put on hold citing the statement of purpose or modalities for disposal of claims and objections prepared by the Union of India, reported ANI.

These people were not able to access the benefits available via Aadhaar, the plea stated.

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The plea further stated that once the person has been registered under the NRC, they will be entitled to the same benefits as that of a citizen of India and hence, there was no intelligible differentia between persons whose names appear in the NRC.

It said, “The State government of Assam, and the Union of India are denying access to the biometrics of the individuals whose names have been incorporated in the supplementary list dated August 31, 2019 and are therefore not able to access the benefits as would they be entitled to by having an Aadhaar Number.”

They plea added that they would not be able to access the state-sanctioned schemes, subsidies and benefits as it required mandatory registration under the Aadhaar regime.

Non-availability of Aadhaar number created a major disadvantage in getting educational access, application for jobs, PAN card applications, ration card, opening bank accounts, etc and therefore impinging the ability of the people to have a right to livelihood, food, liberty, whether it be economical or political, self determination and autonomy, the plea further mentioned.

It was a violation of the principles laid down under Article 14 of the Constitution, it added.

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