Aadhaar enhances dignity of poor, Centre tells SC

New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Wednesday asserted in the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Aadhaar is the minimum requirement for a poor man to live with dignity by availing benefits. Senior counsel Rakesh Diwedi, appearing for UIDAI made this assertion before a Constitution Bench of the Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.K. Sikri, A.M. Kanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, hearing a batch of petitions challenging the legal validity of Aadhaar law.

Mr Diwedi said that while testing a law the court should not imagine that all sorts of abuse would happen. Realistically speaking there is no scare, which has been created by the petitioners. Aadhaar is the minimum requirement for a poor man to live with dignity, which is an essential and integral part of right to life under Article 21. Counsel told the court "In testing a law don't be a crusader like an NGO, have a positive and not a negative approach. Why should the court think of stalling and collapsing a law when judicial tools are available to make Aadhaar work better, rather than strking it down." He said Aadhaar seeks to secure the poor and deprived sections of society to live their life and exercise their liberty by providing them a nationally acceptable identity, which gives them pride, dignity and self respect that they are part of the society.

The object of the law is to ensure to the people adequate food at affordable prices so that people live with dignity.

Mr. Diwedi said when 99 % of the population is having Aadhaar as an identity and the government having spent huge money and created the vast infrastructure, nobody can say that Aadhaar is bad.

Wherever there are gaps, the court can fill those gaps by issuing guidelines or directions in this regard.