No one can claim immunity from identification: Govt to SC

The government had earlier clarified that the PAN will be made invalid from July 1 if not applied for the Aadhaar-PAN card link.

During the hearing of a plea challenging linking of Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number in the Supreme Court, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Tuesday said people cannot claim immunity from identification as the Union Government is entitled to have identification.

The AG said people cannot ask for being invisible, adding that no right is absolute.

"Under extreme cases even right to life can be taken away, under due process," ANI quoted the AG as telling the apex court.

On April 27, the government had clarified to the apex court that the PAN will be made invalid from July 1 if not applied for the Aadhaar-PAN card link. It also stated that the PAN card will not be made invalid if the person had applied for the same.

However, the apex court had asked the government to justify the notification issued in this regard.

On April 26, the government told the top court that the decision was taken with the intention of curbing tax evasion and to keep a check on the circulation of black money. Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi told the bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan that the move was to scrap fake PAN cards that are being used to divert the funds to shell companies.

Three petitions were filed by the senior Communist Party of India leader Binoy Vishwam, Dalit rights activist Bezwada Wilson and a retired army officer S G Vombatkere in this regard.

In August 2015, the top court in an order clarified that the Aadhaar cards will not be mandatory for availing benefits of the government's welfare schemes.

As NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to put an end to the black money, in March said that Aadhaar card mandatory for filing the income tax returns, for applying for a PAN card and to seek free gas connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Responding to the move, the court in March had given green signal to the Centre for making Aadhaar Card mandatory to open bank accounts, getting mobile connections and passports.

OneIndia News