Activists, petitioners welcome SC verdict on Aadhaar

Petitioners and activists Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict declaring the Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid.

Tehseen Poonawalla, one of the petitioners in the case, expressed happiness at the apex court stating it was not necessary to link it to bank accounts and that telecom service providers couldn't seek linking of Aadhaar.

"Oh jeez, Sekhri just said #AadhaarVerdict does NOT have to be linked to mobiles and banks!!! Amazing. He struck down section 57 of the #Aadhaar act!!," he tweeted.

Section 57 allows not only the State but also any "body corporate or person" or private entity to demand Aadhaar.

Cyber security expert Pavan Duggal welcomed the ruling.

"I welcome the Supreme Court verdict in the sense that Aadhaar is now ground reality, but loopholes that exist in Aadhaar should be tackled in a proactive basis. The issues of cyber security are among those the government should effectively work upon," Duggal said.

The apex court's five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra Wednesday said Aadhaar is meant to help benefits reach the marginalised sections of the society and it takes into account the dignity of people not only from personal but also from community point of view.

The verdict was pronounced on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar scheme and its enabling 2016 law.

The bench had on May 10 reserved the verdict on the matter after a marathon hearing that went on for 38 days, spanning four-and-half months.