Aadhaar dangerous for individual, society, nation: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Flagging her concern over the lack of privacy, chief minister Mamata Banjeree, once again trained her guns at the Modi government over the use of Aadhar cards. She even accused the Centre of leaking private information of the citizens in the public domain.

Calling Aadhaar card as “dangerous”, Ms Banerjee reasoned that it would challenge the freedom of expression of the commoners.

“The conversation between a husband and wife and mother and daughter will get leaked. It will happen in case of mobile. I have spoken about it many times. We have our identity cards including PAN. I am in favour a unique card which will replace multiple identity cards. But Aadhaar is dangerous.”

“The way private details of the citizens are systematically uploaded on a website on the pretext of use of Aadhaar now poses danger to the freedom of expression,” she said at Nabanna.

The chief minister added, “The inside will be out. It is dangerous for the society, individuals and the country. I do not know its purpose. There are some persons who feel happy by doing the opposite work like Mohammed Bin Tughlaq who changed capital overnight and introduced a new currency replacing the existing one. It is nothing but whimsical attitude.”

The state BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the TMC government was trying to create panic among the public.

He said at the Assembly, “Aadhar is an identity card like Ration card, Voter ID and licence which are used for many purposes. Even to stay at a hotel Voter ID is required. I do it. So far I have not heard that someone has lost money due to Aadhar card or personal information leakage due to it.”

The Kharagpur MLA claimed, “A panic is being created among the common people like the way it was done in case of demonetization and Goods & Services Tax. Politics is being done over Aadhar card.” Ms Bnaerjee also attacked the BJP government over the delay in the release of Bollywood film Padmavati.

The Trinamul supremo tweeted: “The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice.”