Stop Issuing Aadhaar Cards, Says MP Ananth Kumar
Bangalore South MP Ananth Kumar on Tuesday said it is high time people understood the drawbacks of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and Aadhaar cards.
At an interaction programme, Kumar alleged that data collected by the authority is ‘passed on to America’. The government should stop issuing Aadhaar cards immediately. The UPA government established the authority despite 31 of the 33 standing committees in the Rajya Sabha rejecting the UIDAI Bill.
Taking a dig at his opponent Nandan Nilekani for claiming credit for Aadhaar, Kumar said, “I would have been ashamed to be associated with something like this. The UPA government is issuing Aadhaar and voter ID cards to illegal migrants.”
Claiming that there are more than 2.5 crore illegal migrants in the country, Kumar said the massive influx of Bangladeshi migrants into Assam is causing problems to the local populace.
Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the programme, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said the party will examine and evaluate some of the provisions of UIDAI and take a decision on its continuance.
About Education: Lekhi said small schools in Gujarat are allowed to function even if they do not have playgrounds and other facilities, provided they are good at imparting education.
The party will emulate this and focus on skill development.
Kumar said the BJP will also focus on enlightening students about the rich Vedic heritage and sciences that originated in the country.
On Homosexuality: Lekhi said the party is not bothered about anybody’s sexuality. Police will act only when a complaint is lodged and not for indulging in consensual sex.
On Economy: Lekhi said the UPA government made set-top boxes mandatory despite India not manufacturing them. Set-top boxes are imported from China, which has benefitted from the government’s policy.
Due to such wrong policies, India’s trade deficit with China, which was a little over US $2 billion two years ago, stands at over US $80 billion today.
On Security: Kumar said Chinese interference in Sri Lanka is increasing and India is not in a position to do anything.
China has occupied around 1,200 sq km of Indian territory and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has become China-occupied Kashmir.
Suggestions by students
■ Focus on women’s security
■ Include provisions to attract foreign investments in education
■ Include provisions to weed out corruption
■ Regulate manufacture and sale of tobacco products and alcohol
■ Regulate fee structure in educational institutions to make education affordable