BJP 'Selfishly' Politicising Vajpayee's Name for Electoral Gains in 2019 Polls, Says His Niece
New Delhi: Almost a week after Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death, his niece, Karuna Shukla, on Thursday raked up a controversy by alleging that the BJP is politicising the former prime minister's death for electoral gains in 2019 polls.
"The BJP is selfish and doing politics in the name of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Using his name, they are prepping for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," said Karuna Shukla in an interview to News18.
Shukla alleged that the BJP profited from Vajpayee's name during his lifetime and now after the leader's death it was still using it for political gains.
"The BJP is not at all ashamed over politicising the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee," said Shukla, a former Lok Sabha MP who was denied a ticket by the BJP in 2014 and later resigned from the party.
She cautioned that the electorate will be able to see through this charade.
As Vajpayee's funeral procession left the BJP headquarters for Smriti Sthal, PM Modi, Amit Shah and other senior BJP leaders walked behind the vehicle, along with hundreds of party workers who had gathered to pay their last respects.
The late Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in rivers across the country, with top leaders participating in a ritual that has been dubbed "Atal Kalash Yatra" by the ruling BJP.
The BJP leaders have been tasked with the job of organising yatras or processions, and condolence meets, as the urns are taken to rivers.
At an event in Delhi, PM Modi and Amit Shah handed over urns wrapped in red cloth with Vajpayee's ashes to state party chiefs.
The party has asked all its ministers and lawmakers to participate in the Kalash Yatra events in their states.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India's tallest leaders and the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in power by leading a tenuous coalition with his inclusive politics and superlative oratory, died on August 16 after a prolonged illness. He was 93.
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SC to hear on May 4 PIL seeking stringent guidelines for issuing Aadhaar to adolescents, adults
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking a direction to the Unique Identification Authority of India to issue new Aadhaar cards only to citizens up to the age of six years, and frame stringent guidelines for its issuance to adolescents and adults to stop infiltrators from masquerading as Indian citizens.
As per the apex court's causelist of May 4, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has also sought a direction to the authorities to install display boards at common service centres stating that the 12-digit unique identification number is only a "proof of identity" and not a proof of citizenship, address or date of birth.
Besides all the states and Union Territories, the plea has made the UIDAI -- which is the authority that issues Aadhaar -- and the Union ministries of home, law and justice, and electronics and information technology as parties.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, said Aadhaar, originally intended as a proof of identity, has increasingly become a "foundational document" enabling individuals to obtain other identification documents, such as ration cards, domicile certificates and voter identity cards.
"The UIDAI has issued 144 crore Aadhaar and 99 percent Indians have been enrolled. Therefore, the petitioner is filing this writ petition as a PIL under Article 32, seeking a direction to UIDAI to issue new Aadhaar to children only and frame new stringent guidelines for adolescents and adults, so as to stop infiltrators from getting it and masquerading as Indian citizens," the plea said.
It said the need to file the plea arose when the petitioner came to know the manner in which infiltrators are able to procure Aadhaar through a verification process that is weak and can be easily manipulated.
"Foreigners apply for Aadhaar under the 'foreign' category. But infiltrators apply for Aadhaar under the 'Indian citizen' category and get it easily made. Thereafter, they obtain a ration card, birth and domicile certificate, driving licence, et cetera, essentially becoming indistinguishable from Indian citizens…," it said.
Besides seeking other directions, the plea has raised legal questions, including whether the Aadhaar Act 2016 has become "temporally unreasonable" for failing to keep up with the legislative intent of distinguishing foreigners from Indian citizens.
It said the alleged misuse of Aadhaar undermines targeted welfare delivery and leads to diversion of public resources.
