New Delhi : Government today opposed in the Supreme Court a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against it, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and others for allegedly insisting on Aadhaar cards to grant benefits of various schemes to citizens, saying it was not mandatory.
In pursuance of earlier orders, the Centre has conveyed to the states and concerned authorities not to make Aadhaar cards, issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), mandatory for availing various schemes, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand told a three-judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar.
The government said that persons having Aadhaar cards were being asked to provide it to authorities but this was optional, she told the bench that also comprised Justices S A Bobde and C Nagappan.
Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for Mathew Thomas, one of the PIL petitioners, had filed an application seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and others including RBI and the Election Commission.
He had alleged that the Government and others were in violation of earlier orders that had said that no person should be denied any benefit or “suffer” for not having Aadhaar cards.
