August 2, 2018
Shanta Chhetri speaks on linking Aadhaar to mobile phone numbers
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to speak. Sir, my submission is directed to the Government of India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Sir, I want to bring to the notice of this August House the great inconvenience and difficulties being faced by the public in general with repeated deadlines of linking Aadhar card with mobile phone numbers.
Sir, the Supreme Court has already stated that all Indians enjoy a fundamental right to privacy, a right that is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. Sir, the landmark judgement of ‘Kesavananda Bharati’ case states that the basic structure of the Constitution cannot be altered or destroyed by any of the constitutional amendments passed by the legislature. Sir, the Honourable Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India clarified that it had not ordered mandatory linkage of mobile numbers with Aadhaar and the Central Government misinterpreted it.
My question to the hon Minister, through you, Sir, is what explanation does it (government) have for the misinterpretation of the hon Supreme Court, which led to the unending inconvenience of the public? Whether the government is still going to push on with Aadhaar-mobile number linking deadline? What is the government’s stand on the fact that fundamental right to privacy under Article 21 as the basic structure of the Constitution cannot be touched? After all the Government has taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution not to alter it.
