CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi to restrain the Election Commission from seeking Aadhar Card number from voters. In a letter to the CEC, Yechury pointed out that the Commission officials seeking Aadhar Card details from voters and link with Election Identity Cards is not right, as the Supreme Court has made orders that the Aadhar was not mandatory. Yechury said, the EC should make an open announcement about this move, which created confusions in the mind of public.
“I am writing to you expressing my serious concern, based on the reports we are receiving from various quarters of our country that the State election officers have sent out teams like those who do the voter enumeration to collect the Aadhar card details of the voters. Those who have provided the details, I am informed, have also received SMS messages that they no longer require to produce their electoral cards while casting their vote.
“Though the Election Commssion (EC) has some time ago clarified through a press communiqué that the Aadhar Card detail are voluntary and not a compulsory requirement for being enrolled on the voters list, this practice as I mentioned above seems to suggest that the EC has decided in making the Aadhar card as a mandatory requirement for the exercise of franchise,” said Yechury. In his letter, Yechury pointed out that Aadhar card lacks the legislative support.