SHILLONG: The Meghalaya People’s Committee on Aadhaar has hailed the ruling of the Supreme Court on the issue of Aadhaar linkage wherein it extended the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar card to avail various government services and welfare schemes.
Speaking to media persons here on Monday, Rev PBM Basaiawmoit, one of the committee members, said that relief is indefinite until the matter is finally disposed off.
Stating that even the committee had filed two affidavits on behalf of the people who wanted to opt out of Aadhaar, he said that the Election Commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court where they want to link the voters’ EPIC with Aadhaar.
Commenting on recent reports where some people were asked not to go and vote as their EPIC would be linked to Aadhaar, he said that he had in fact asked people to go and vote.
“We should not force people to vote or not to vote and it is their choice,” he said.
He also informed that around 1600-1700 people in the state have opted out of Aadhaar and added that there would have been more people but they had to file their affidavits in the court on time.
Earlier, the Supreme Court said its interim order on not insisting Aadhaar, except for giving subsidy, will remain in force till the five-judge bench gives its judgment on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar.
