Mamata Banerjee takes aim at 'sudden deactivation' of Aadhaar cards in West Bengal
She alleged that the BJP-led central government was “deactivating” Aadhaar cards of people in West Bengal before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Aadhaar Cards in West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find out the reasons behind the 'sudden deactivation' of Aadhaar cards, which has created a lot of unrest among the people of the state.
Mamata Banerjee also alleged that such 'deactivation exercise' was against regulations and a gross violation of natural justice.
“I would like to draw your attention to a sudden development of serious nature of arbitrary deactivation of Aadhaar cards of the people, especially belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC communities in West Bengal,” Banerjee said in a letter . to Modi.
“I would like to know the reasons for such sudden deactivation of Aadhaar cards without explanation. Is it to deprive the beneficiaries of benefits or to create a panic situation among the people before the LS polls?” she said.
The chief minister alleged that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) headquarters in New Delhi was directly issuing deactivation letters to individuals and family members without any field investigation or taking the state into confidence.
“The current development has created chaos and unrest among the people of the state as a large number of people are approaching the district administration for redressal of their grievances,” she said in the letter.
Many people in Bengal panicked on Sunday after receiving letters from the UIDAI informing them that their Aadhaar number had been deactivated and their requirements to stay in the country had not been met.
The UIDAI is responsible for issuing and deactivating the Aadhaar card, a mandatory document for every Indian citizen.
Mamata Banerjee said in the state Assembly on Thursday that she had received many complaints regarding the deactivation of Aadhaar.
Targeting the BJP, she said, “They (BJP) are deactivating Aadhar cards so that these people cannot cast their votes. Several MLAs and MPs, especially from North 24-Parganas, complained to me about such deactivation of Aadhaar card of many people. I have asked my government to investigate such allegations. They (BJP-led Centre) are delinking Aadhaar cards so that people cannot get benefits of Lakshmi Bhandar through banks, free ration before elections,” Banerjee said while speaking at a public distribution program in the district Birbhum.
“But we will continue to pay the beneficiaries of the schemes even if they do not have an Aadhaar card. No beneficiary will be affected,” she added.
She alleged that the BJP-led central government 'deactivated' the Aadhaar cards of people in West Bengal before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections so that they would not get the benefits of various welfare schemes of her government through their bank accounts.
(With PTI inputs)