Thu, 16/12/2021 - 12:15

FSMI statement on Council of Cabinet Ministers proposal to link Aadhaar with VoterID

16-12-21

Hyderabad

It is being widely reported in the media, the Council of Cabinet Ministers have decided to propose amendments to the Representation of People’s Act to link Aadhaar with Voter ID. We are gravely concerned about this development, as there has not been any active consultation process either by the Election Commission of India or the Ministry of Law and Justice. The Supreme Court judgement on Aadhaar has restricted Aadhaar to be used primarily for subsidies with potential national interest exemptions. The use of Aadhaar for the voting process is not a proportionate exercise and has the potential threat to the entire idea of secret ballot. We demand this process to take into account all the issues and problems faced with past Aadhaar Voter ID linking. At the least, it is the duty of the Election Commission of India to host a consultation with all stakeholders and address their concerns related to this exercise.

With Regards,
Kiran Chandra
General Secretary
Free Software Movement of India.