Lok Sabha passes Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021 to link voter ID, Aadhaar cards
The Bill seeks to allow electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number of people who want to register as voters "for the purpose of establishing the identity.
FollowAmid protest by the Opposition, the Lok Sabha on Monday through voice vote passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to link electoral rolls with the Aadhaar ecosystem to weed out duplication. Introducing the bill, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the legislation will end bogus voting in the country and make the electoral process more credible. Rijiju introduced the bill even as MPs from the Congress, DMK and TMC were standing in the Well of the House, shouting slogans against the government.
Opposition parties led by Congress opposed the bill, saying it will infringe the fundamental rights of citizens. They also alleged that the Bill would violate the Supreme Court judgment on Aadhaar and demanded the Bill be sent to a Standing Committee.
The Bill allows electoral registration officers to ask for Aadhaar numbers of applicants wanting to register as voters to establish the identity of the applicant. However, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that linking of Aadhar to Electoral Photo Identity Card is voluntary.
It also seeks to allow the officers to ask for the number from “persons already included in the electoral roll for the purposes of authentication of entries in electoral roll, and to identify registration of name of the same person in the electoral roll of more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency”.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid protests by opposition members on Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
After a chaotic week and continuous protest by the opposition parties, Parliament on Monday resumed for the final week of the winter session this year.
In the meantime, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm for the second time as Opposition parties continued their protests on various issues, including the suspension of 12 members of the House.
