BENGALURU: The first petitioner of Aadhaar case, former High Court judge Justice K S Puttaswamy, is now 93 years old. After having pursued the case for the past six years, he now says that he would not pursue it any further. Though he has welcomed the Supreme Court judgment, he feels that he “may disagree” if he reads the whole judgment. Puttaswamy spoke to The New Indian Express regarding the Supreme Court judgment on Wednesday.
Why did you petition against the Aadhaar scheme in 2012?
The petition was a result of several others we had filed in the past. When the Aadhaar scheme was introduced by the Central government, they had sought several private details of an individual for enrolment. This was challenged by me and several others in the Supreme Court. I had challenged it when it was just an executive order, which has changed a lot over time.
Do you think the purpose of your petition against Aadhaar scheme has been served?
All that the Supreme Court has decided following the petition is that whether Aadhaar is valid or invalid. The five-member bench of Supreme Court has held the Act to be valid.
Minority judgment is also being discussed, especially the one by Justice D Y Chandrachud.
Irrespective of the appeal of a minority judgment in the case, majority judgment will be the law of the land. When we compare the majority and minority judgments, it may be possible that I disagree with the majority judgment. But, it is still binding.
Should Aadhaar be mandatory?
Aadhaar has been mandatory for some schemes. Using Aadhaar in such schemes won’t affect anybody. I too availed Aadhaar to file income tax returns last year.
What are the ways in which the judgment can be challenged?
I don’t think that the case can be taken by a nine-judge bench. I think the petitioners can file a curative petition, for which they have to file an application with the Supreme Court and seek permission.
Do you still have concerns regarding the scheme? Are you going to pursue the case?
I don’t have concerns regarding the scheme. Any affected party should approach the court for relief. I won’t pursue and file a curative petition as there is no question of me continuing the case. People will have to raise complaints and filing a curative petition will not be easy.