Aadhar Linking To Voter ID: SC To Hear Cong Leader Randeep Surjewala's Plea Against Election Law Amendment Act

Congress leader Surjewala has said in his plea that the linking of the cards “infringes upon the fundamental right of privacy of citizens and is unconstitutional and ultra vires the Constitution".

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala

Source : Getty Images

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a plea by Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday challenging the Election Law Amendment Act that enables linking electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem. According to a PTI report, a bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna is likely to take up the petition.

Congress leader Surjewala has said in his plea that the linking of the cards “infringes upon the fundamental right of privacy of citizens and is unconstitutional and ultra vires the Constitution".

He has claimed that linking of both the government ids is against data privacy as personal and private data will also be available to the authorities. 

“Linking of Aadhaar data with Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card data will allow the personal and private data of voters to be available to a statutory authority and shall impose a limitation on the voters, i.e., the voters will now have to establish their identity before the Electoral Registration Officer (Respondent No. 2) by furnishing their respective Aadhaar details.

“The situation will further be aggravated by the fact that at present there are no laws for protecting the data of citizens,” the plea said.

It claimed the amendment may even enable voter profiling as all the demographic information linked to Aadhaar shall be linked with the Voter ID.

“This can, in theory, also increase the possibility of disenfranchisement/intimidation based on the identity of voters.

"This may even increase chances of voter surveillance and the commercial exploitation of private sensitive data of voters,” it said. 

Congress has been vocal about the step being taken by the central government and Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petition today. 

(With PTI inputs)