The Supreme Court gave a strong message to the political parties and said that it is wrong to consider Aadhaar card as proof of citizenship. The court clarified that Aadhaar is only a proof of identity, not of citizenship.
The court also expressed concern over the voter list dispute and fake Aadhaar card cases in Bihar. The Supreme Court has made it clear that Aadhaar card cannot be considered as proof of citizenship. It can only be used as an identity card. The court said that some political parties are trying to make Aadhaar a proof of citizenship, which is against the law.
What did the Supreme Court say?
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said that Aadhaar card can be used for identification, but it cannot be made the basis for proving citizenship.
The court said, “We cannot extend the status of Aadhaar beyond the Aadhaar Act and the decision in the Puttaswamy case.” According to Section 9, Aadhaar is neither a proof of citizenship nor gives the right to residence. In 2018, the Supreme Court had given the same decision in the Puttaswamy case.
Bihar voter list dispute
This matter came to light when about 65 lakh names were removed from the voter list of Bihar. After this, some political parties, especially RJD, demanded that Aadhaar be made the final proof for voter registration. On this the court strictly asked, “Why is there so much emphasis on Aadhaar?”
Concern over fake Aadhaar cards
The Election Commission told the court that Aadhaar saturation in many districts of Bihar is more than 140%, that is, many Aadhaar cards have been made in the name of the same person. The central government also informed that Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingya refugees have obtained Aadhaar cards fraudulently.
Advice to political parties
The court said that political parties should work at the grassroots level to identify real voters. He suggested that the parties should file claims and objections through their booth level agents and not weaken democracy by making Aadhaar the final proof.
Emphasis on safeguarding democracy
The Supreme Court clearly said that fake voters will not be allowed to weaken Indian democracy. This decision is a clear message that Aadhaar is only an identity card, not proof of citizenship.
