PTI, NEW DELHI: A TMC member in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday made a case for a new legislation to ensure safety of the database of all citizens and said the Aadhaar Card should not be made mandatory till that time.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy claimed that in recent months, over 130 million Aadhaar database has been leaked from government websites.
He said the Wikileaks had indicated that the CIA had allegedly accessed the sensitive biometric data from the Aadhaar card database.
“This national ID becomes especially problematic when it is linked to external non-governmental database such as mobile numbers and is used to share personal data with mobile operators,” Roy said.
Even the government and intelligence authorities do not necessarily have the capacity to monitor the security practices of third parties, he said.
“In such a situation, we strongly feel against the linking of Aadhaar Card with everything — bank accounts, mobile numbers, health cards and other cards,” the senior TMC member said.
He said when the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy was a fundamental right, “I urge upon the government that a new legislation should be enacted to secure and ensure the safety of the database of the citizens”. Till such time, the Aadhaar Card should not be made mandatory, he added.
In his Zero Hour mention, Ram Kumar Kashyap (INLD) demanded the status of martyrs for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar.
GOVT EXAMINING STEPS TO CHECK E-SMOKING
Government is examining how to tackle the consumption of electronic smoking on the basis of the reports of three panels formed by the health ministry to study different aspects of the issue, union minister J P Nadda
said. During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, members raised concerns about the menace of e-smoking to which Nadda said that his ministry had formed three sub-groups to look into various aspects including the legal implications and health aspects.
When Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked Nadda to explain what e-smoking was about, the minister said it referred to the practice of inhaling capsules of nicotine in a vaporised form after they are heated.
Some countries have regulated e-smoking while others have banned it, he said assuring members that an appropriate decision would be taken in this regard. Members also raised questions about steps taken to prevent thalassemia. Congress member Renuka Chowdhury said the people should be encouraged to get blood tests of prospective partners before marriage, rather than consider caste or other such factors.
STALEMENTS OVER PM’S REMARKS AGAINST SINGH ENDS
The stalemate over the “conspiracy with Pakistan” charge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh seemed to be ending today in the Rajya Sabha as the opposition and the
ruling party decided to form a panel after agreeing to the Chair’s suggestion for an amicable solution.
As the Congress insisted on Modi coming to the House to clarify the statement he made during poll campaign in Gujarat and its members raised slogans and sought an apology, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urged the opposition and the government to talk and resolve the stalemate over the prime minister’s comments on his predecessor.
Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the prime minister should come to the House and clarify on what he said, as his charges that his predecessor was “conspiring” with Pakistan was “a big issue.”
JAITLEY DEFENDS COURTS TO DEAL WITH CASES AGAINST LAWMAKERS
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stoutly defended the move to set up fast-track courts for dealing exclusively with criminal cases against
politicans, saying law makers should take the lead in setting an example.
Responding to opposition concerns in the Rajya Sabha over the message setting up of special courts to try politicians will send, he said Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.
Jaitley, who is also the Leader of the House, said he was of the personal opinion that like Caesar’s wife, law makers should be above suspicion.
As elected representatives, can law makers say that their trial should be delayed, he said, asking political parties to rise and set an example.
“You are class apart… you are law makers. You should set the example,” he said.
Earlier, opposition parties led by Congress and SP raised the issue of Supreme Court’s recent direction to the Centre to draft a scheme for setting up fast-track courts to deal exclusively with criminal cases involving legislators and political persons.
Raising the issue through a ‘point-of-order’, Naresh Agrawal (SP) said Article 14 of the Constitution provides for equity before law and elected representatives are on par with other citizens.
While there are no special courts for fast-track trial of terrorists and dreaded criminals, setting up one for elected representatives would create misleading perception about politicians, he said. He questioned the government’s affidavit supporting setting up of the fast-track courts.
Anand Sharma (Cong) said while there is no question of delaying prosecution of anyone, it would tantamount to profiling and excessive vilification of law makers if a perception is created that the fast-track courts are needed for the elected representatives only.
But singling out only the elected representatives will create a public perception that would otherwise have an inherent potential of being abused by the government of the day, he said.
