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Trinamool Congress: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Thursday raised serious questions and alleged that UIDAI has shared the list of inactive Aadhaar numbers of West Bengal with the Election Commission.
Trinamool Congress: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Thursday raised serious questions alleging that UIDAI has shared the list of inactive Aadhaar numbers of West Bengal with the Election Commission, whereas it had earlier claimed that no such list was available with it. Gokhale said that the Election Commission and Modi government’s UIDAI are colluding to steal votes. He said that recently information had come to light about 30-32 lakh inactive Aadhaar numbers being handed over to the Election Commission, which were said to be of dead persons. According to Gokhale, this is a big scam because last year UIDAI had told him in writing that it neither maintains state-wise nor reason-wise records of inactive Aadhaar numbers. He demanded that transparency should be brought in this matter and there should be a thorough investigation.
30-32 lakh Aadhaar inactive in West Bengal
He shared a reply given by UIDAI on 26 February 2024, in which he said that state-wise and cause-wise data is not maintained. It was also said in the reply that till then 103 lakh Aadhaar cards had been deactivated, which included 82 lakh people who had died. He said that in other words UIDAI told me in writing that it only maintains a general list of deactivated Aadhaar. He does not know in which states these Aadhaars were issued and what was the reason for deactivation. He further said that UIDAI had said the same thing in Parliament also. He further said that in such a situation, how is UIDAI claiming that there are 30-32 lakh inactive Aadhaar numbers especially in West Bengal, when it does not maintain state wise data?
Vote theft under the guise of SIR
He said how does UIDAI know that 30-32 lakh Aadhar cards in Bengal have been deactivated due to death of the Aadhar card holder, when it does not even maintain reason-wise data? Said that this is another shameless example of the Election Commission colluding with the BJP to remove names of voters on a large scale. He said that the UIDAI of the Modi government should clarify whether they had lied in the Parliament or are now lying under the guise of SIR to help the Election Commission and BJP in stealing votes? UIDAI officials informed the Election Commission earlier this week that around 34 lakh Aadhaar card holders have been found ‘dead’ in West Bengal since the identity card was introduced in January 2009.
13 lakh people do not have Aadhar card
UIDAI officials also told the Election Commission that about 13 lakh people in the state never had Aadhaar cards, but have died. This information was shared during a meeting between UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) officials and state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal amid the ongoing counting of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Kolkata. The meeting took place following a directive from the Election Commission asking all state CEOs to coordinate with Aadhaar officials to verify voter data and identify discrepancies.
