Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict on the Aadhaar scheme as a “victory of the people”.
“From day one we had said that giving Aadhaar details to banks and telecom service providers discloses vital information and goes against the right to life, right to property and economic rights. That our logic was infallible was proven by this verdict,” she told reporters in Milan, where she is scouting for investment for Bengal.
Asked about her vow not to link her phone to Aadhaar, she said: “I did not do it. I have not done it till date.”
Asked whether the court judgment was a victory for her, she said: “No, no, (it’s) not my victory; it’s a victory of the people. I simply did not do it (Aadhaar-link her phone) and asked everyone not to do it. That’s because I felt (it would be) a calamity (for citizens’) human rights.”
She added: “There are definitely some internal security, privacy-related issues pertaining to the government that we do not comment on, because we maintain a system, a courtesy. But my bank account number, if I give (it) out, there can be bank fraud. People could be cheated out of their money.
“ATM frauds have been taking place regularly. Similarly, linking mobile phones could directly lead to messages, conversations and a lot of other vital information getting leaked.”