Centre's 'elitist' argument junked

The Union government’s plea that right to privacy is an “elitist” concept and that the poor need food and shelter, not privacy was rejected by the Supreme Court.

The Aadhaar Act would now be examined in the light of judgement by the nine-judge that held right to privacy is a fundamental right.

The Union government led by Attorney General K K Venugopal has stoutly defended the Aadhar (Targeted Delivery of  Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, by which the Aadhar card is now issued to ensure that various beneficial schemes filter down to persons for whom such schemes are intended.  The Attorney General had stated that in a developing country where millions of people are denied the basic necessities of life and do not even have shelter, food, clothing or jobs, no claim to a right to privacy as a fundamental right would lie.

“The arguments by AG does not impress us,” Justice R F Nariman said in this judgement. He rejected the plea by wondering why the government saw an “antipathy” between the rich and the poor in this context.

Justice Nariman, however, said the validity of Aadhaar would be examined by a three-judge bench.

DH News Service