Aadhaar verdict: Congress welcomes SC decision of its delinking from private entities, calls it 'slap on face of BJP'

The Congress on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allowed private parties to access Aadhaar data, and termed it a "slap on the face of BJP".

The Supreme Court has declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid.

We welcome the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act. Private entities are no longer allowed to use Aadhaar for verification purposes. #AadhaarVerdict

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 26, 2018

The delinking of Aadhaar from private entities is a 'slap on the face of BJP", added Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Slap on the face of Digital India propaganda of BJP. Jstc Chandrachud says that Digital India cant submerge identities He said-"Quest for digital India must be cognisant of the digital divide. Digital nation must nt submerge the identities of digitised citizen”#AadhaarVerdict — Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) September 26, 2018

He also hailed the Supreme Court's move to disallow metadata to be stored in current form.

SC rightly appreciated brilliant idea in origin; protected its core; promoted its development &eliminated its flotsam &jetsam. SC brilliantly threw out #bjp #modi accumulated dirty bathwater and saved the baby. Org intent of UPA ie to give identity 2 marginalised ppl now shines.

— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) September 26, 2018

The verdict also saw reactions from other party members. Congress spoksperson Randeep Surjewala called the verdict "quashing of Narendra Modi government’s surveillance tool."

#AadharVerdict Quashing of Modi Government’s Surveillance Tool; Sec 57 puts an end to abuse of power. SC ends the mass surveillance exercise being carried out under the guise of Aadhar by the Central Government and the grotesque distortion of an idea conceived by the UPA. — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 26, 2018

Congress leader Sanjay Jha also tweeted in favor of the verdict and questioned the government on taking Aadhar information when it was sub-judice.

Dear Citizens of India; Ask Mr #Modi , #PleaseGiveMyDataBack that has been taken by mobile companies and banks. Why did the government take our #Aadhar information when it was sub judice? Now they already have access to your info. How fair is that? It is daylight robbery.

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) September 26, 2018

The SC #AadhaarVerdict vindicates the Congress party standpoint: #Aadhar only for welfare subsidies. A slap on the face of #ModiSarkar for trying to forcibly make it mandatory for other private purposes like bank accounts, mobile phones, school admission etc. — Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) September 26, 2018

The apex court's five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said Aadhaar is meant to help benefits reach marginalised sections of society and takes into account the dignity of people not only from the personal but also from the community point of view. The top court said Aadhaar serves a bigger public interest. "Aadhaar means unique and it is better to be unique than be the best", it said.

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