Aadhaar has reduced India to a ‘concentration camp’: Petitioners

Aadhaar card system has been praised by a global body on financial reforms for expanding banking reach and lesser use of cash. (Source: File Photo)

In a scathing criticism of government’s order seeking to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of social welfare schemes, senior advocate Shyam Divan, who is representing a batch of petitioners, apprised the Supreme Court bench hearing the matter on Friday that Aadhaar has reduced India to a ‘concentration camp’. However, Attorney General K Venugopal, representing the Government of India, objected to Diwan’s ‘concentration camp’ remark.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice J. Chelameshwar and also comprising Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha asked the petitioners to mention it before the CJI court. The apex court on Friday allowed the petitioners challenging the making of Aadhaar as mandatory, to mention it before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for the Constitution bench to hear the matter.

Earlier, the apex court had passed a range of orders asking the government and its agencies not to make Aadhaar mandatory for extending benefits of their various social welfare schemes. The Supreme Court, however, allowed the Centre to seek Aadhaar card voluntarily from citizens for extending benefits of schemes like LPG subsidy, Jan Dhan scheme and Public Distribution System.