Mamata gives her party Trinamool Congress credit for Supreme Court’s Aadhaar verdict

Milan, Sept 26: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, September 26, welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict on Aadhaar, saying it was a victory for the people. Currently on a tour of Europe where she has gone to woo investors for her state, Banerjee said she was always against the idea of linking Aadhaar number with bank and mobile phone details for she thought that breached people's privacy.

"If we link Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobiles, then people's privacy gets violated. In some areas, the government has to maintain privacy which we support. But by linking Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobiles, one only violates people's rights. Our MLA Mahua Moitra had filed a PIL in this regard and we are happy the Supreme Court upheld it. This is a win for the nation," Banerjee told reporters.

It can be mentioned here that in November 2017, the apex court rejected a plea filed by Moitra, a legislator from Karimpur, challenging the linking of bank accounts with Aadhaar. It said several petitions challenging Aadhaar were already pending before it and it could not entertain more pleas on same issue.

Earlier this month, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it was willing to accommodate the suggestions made by Moitra in the proposal of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) to hire a social media agency to oversee online platforms.

Mamata lashes out at BJP in Italy

Banerjee also took a strong dig at the BJP, especially in the context of its 12-hour strike in Bengal over the recent deaths of two students in a school in Islampur in North Dinajpur.

Defending her foreign trips, she said she only embarks on tours that matter for her state and not like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said the PM goes abroad several times but those haven't helped the country.