Linking Aadhaar to Voter card: SC asks Congress leader Surjewala to approach HC
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who has challenged the Election Law (Amendment) Act, 2021 that enables linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem, to approach the competent high court.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna asked Surjewala's counsel as to why they have not approached the high court first.
"Why do not you move the Delhi High Court. You will have the same remedy. You are challenging sections 4 and 5 of the Election Law (Amendment) Act of 2021. Why have you come here? You can go to the Delhi High Court," the bench observed.
The counsel representing the Congress leader said three different states will go for elections in the next six months.
"In view of the remedy which is available in the law, we grant liberty to the petitioner to move a petition under Article 226 (of the Constitution) before the competent high court," the bench said.
The top court was hearing Surjewala's plea challenging the constitutional validity of section 4 and 5 of the Election Law (Amendment) Act, 2021.
The petition said that the amendment "intends to link two completely distinct documents (along with their data), i.e., the Aadhaar card, which is a proof of residency (permanent or temporary) and EPIC/Voter ID, which is a proof of citizenship. Hence, making it amply evident that the linkage of Aadhaar and Voter ID is completely irrational."
The plea sought to declare that sections 4 and 5 of the Election Law (Amendment) Act, 2021 infringe upon the fundamental right of privacy of citizens and therefore, are unconstitutional and ultra vires the Constitution.
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BJP has history of ‘contradictory alliances’, says BK Hariprasad
Bengaluru: Congress MLC B. K. Hariprasad has launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing the party of hypocrisy over its criticism of alliance politics in Tamil Nadu.
In a post on X on Friday, Hariprasad said BJP leader B. L. Santhosh criticising the Congress party’s alliance politics in Tamil Nadu was “not just laughable, but the height of political contradiction.”
He said the Congress has always joined hands with like-minded parties to protect secular and democratic values in the country.
Hariprasad questioned the BJP over several of its past and present alliances across the country. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tripura, Bihar and Maharashtra, he accused the BJP of sharing power with parties it had earlier criticised.
He alleged that the BJP had aligned with separatist and corruption-linked political forces in different states for political gains.
“The BJP, which speaks against alliances today, should first look at its own political history,” he said, adding that the party’s record was full of “contradictions and changing stands.”
Hariprasad also accused the BJP of using central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and CBI as political tools to target opposition leaders, topple governments and influence electoral mandates.
He further claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu had strongly rejected the BJP and its ideology in the recent election.
“Congress forms alliances to protect the Constitution, secularism and national unity, while the BJP enters into alliances only for power,” he said.
