Centre introduces Bill to link voter ID, Aadhaar cards amid protests by Opposition

Rijiju introduced the bill even as MPs from the Congress, DMK and TMC were standing in the Well of the House, shouting slogans against the government. While DMK and Congress MPs were protesting against the arrest of 55 Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan navy, the TMC and other Congress MPs demanded the sacking Union Minister Ajay Mishra over his son’s involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

“The Bill is outside the legislative competence of the House as it violates the limits on legislation set by the Supreme Court in its judgment (Puttaswamy vs Union of India),” Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. His party colleague Manish Tiwari added, “The linking of voter IDs and Aadhaar violates the fundamental right to privacy as defined by the Supreme Court in the judgment.”

Chowdhury, while pointing out that the Data Protection Law is yet to be in place, added that the Bill should be sent to the standing committee

The Law Minister, trying to explain the motive of the Bill, added that the Opposition MPs had misinterpreted the Top Court’s verdict.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that if the Bill becomes an Act, the government would be able to use the details for “disenfranchising some people and profile the citizens”.

“Aadhar is for residents, voting right is for citizens,” TMC MP Saugato Ray said. BSP’s Ritesh Pandey also opposed the introduction of the Bill.

N K Premachandran pointed out that the right to privacy is a fundamental right and the Parliament cannot pass a law that curtails it. Shashi Tharoor also asked whether the move wouldn’t potentially give voting rights to non-citizens as Aadhaar is a just a proof of residence.

The Speaker had to adjourn the question hour abruptly at 11.45 pm till 12 noon because of the disruptions.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, the Bill aims to “curb the menace of multiple enrolment of the same person in different places”. The qualifying dates in relation to the preparation or revision of electoral rolls will be first days of January, April, July and October once the Bill becomes an act. “The Amendment of the Section 20 of the Representation of the People’s Act 1950 and Section 60 of the RP Act 1951 for substitution of the word “wide” with the word “spouse” making the statues gender neutral,” it added.