Edward Snowden Hails Reporter Who Exposed Flaws In UIDAI System, Says Journalist Deserves Award

The Congress said an atmosphere of fear has been created in the country by the BJP-led NDA government

Image: American whistleblower Edward Snowden/ Twitter

New Delhi: American whistleblower Edward Snowden on Tuesday came out in support of a national daily reporter, who has been booked for exposing alleged flaws in Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) system. Taking to Twitter, Snowden said instead of an investigation, the journalist needed to be rewarded for exposing that the Aadhar data was not fullproof and could be obtained at a cost of only Rs 500. In his tweet, the former United States government contractor, who has taken an asylum in Russia, also suggested that action should rather be taken against UIDAI, the body that runs the Aadhaar programme. "The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI," Snowden tweeted.

The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI. https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 8, 2018

UIDAI must withdraw FIR against The Tribune: Congress The Congress on Monday said an atmosphere of fear has been created in the country by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and demanded that FIR against "The Tribune" and its staffer for alleged breach of details of a large number of Aadhaar cards be withdrawn. The party said if the government believed in the Freedom of Speech and Expression and the freedom of press, then the FIR must be unilaterally withdrawn by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which operates under the central government. "An atmosphere of fear, terror, intimidation and coercion and stifling of democratic dissent has been systematically created, perpetuated and perpetrated by the NDA-BJP government," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari. Dissenting journalists were put to death and media organisations which dared to speak truth were systematically hounded and targeted, he said. "NDTV was raided and the Wire has been subjected to systematic coercion and intimidation. The Tribune, which runs a story on Aadhar data breach, is rewarded with an FIR which names the journalist and the institution itself," he added. Tewari further said: "If this is not fascism, if this is not an attempt to muzzle dissent, if this is not gross abuse of state authority, then I am afraid, we possibly do not have a definition for this. "That is why, the time has come for all progressive, right thinking and patriotic forces to stand united against this systematic repression which has been unleashed on democratic dissent by the Narendra Modi government," he added. The party also asked the people to introspect and decide on the kind of government they would want post 2019.