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Linking Aadhaar to services “must be criminalized”, says Edward Snowden

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8 years ago

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Linking Aadhaar to services “must be criminalized”, says Edward Snowden

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In yet another major blow at the central government’s Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), American whistleblower-in-exile Edward Snowden on Sunday hit out at the Aadhaar card through a series of posts on Twitter. Terming Aadhaar as “an improper gate to service”, the former US National Security Agency contractor stated that the demands to link unique numbers with services “must be criminalized”.

Linking an online article written by former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief KC Verma, Snowden wrote on Twitter, “Rarely do former intel chiefs and I agree, but the head of India’s RAW writes #Aadhaar is being abused by banks, telcos, and transport not to police entitlements, but as a proxy for identity–an improper gate to service. Such demands must be criminalized.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Later in the day, Snowden linked a post tweeted by the UIDAI official handle on January 17 and replied to it depicting the flaws in the design of information flow with Aadhaar.

On January 17, UIDAI shared a post from its official Twitter handle, saying, “#Aadhaar is an identifier, not a profiling tool. Aadhaar database does not keep any information about bank accounts, shares, mutual funds, property details, health records, family details, religion, caste, education etc. #AadhaarMythBuster.” Snowden quoted this tweet and wrote: “That might be true if banks, landlords, hospitals, schools, telephone & internet companies were prohibited by law from asking for your #Aadhaar number. But any Indian can tell you they’re asked for their number by non-government entities–and those companies have databases too.”

Responding to the UIDAI tweet, Snowden said, “That might be true if banks, landlords, hospitals, schools, telephone & internet companies were prohibited by law from asking for your #Aadhaar number. But any Indian can tell you they’re asked for their number by non-government entities––and those companies have databases too.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Snowden’s fresh jibe at Aadhaar came days after The Tribune reporter Rachna Khaira has depicted how anonymous sellers over WhatsApp were allegedly providing Aadhaar details for a fee. She claimed that Rs 500 and 10 minutes got an access to almost every detail of any individual submitted to the UIDAI – including name, address, postal code (PIN), photo, phone number and email.

UIDAI registered an FIR against the newspaper, its reporter Rachna Khaira and her sources: Anil Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Raj, the people contacted during the course of reporting under IPC Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document), as well Section 66 of the IT Act and Section 36/37 of the Aadhaar Act.

Coming out in support of the publication and its reporter, Snowden at that time tweeted that the journalist should be awarded and not probed for digging out the truth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI,” wrote Snowden.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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PM Modi accuses Congress of anti-Sikh bias over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘traitor’ remark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Rahul Gandhi of targeting BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu with a ‘gaddar’ remark because of his Sikh identity while speaking in the Rajya Sabha.

Published

11 hours ago

on

February 5, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his “traitor” remark against BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu reflected the Congress party’s animosity towards the Sikh community.

The Prime Minister made the remarks in the Rajya Sabha while replying to the motion of thanks on the President’s address. Referring to an incident in the Parliament complex a day earlier, Modi said Gandhi’s comment had crossed all limits of political decency.

The controversy stems from a protest by suspended Opposition MPs, during which Ravneet Singh Bittu — a former Congress leader who joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — allegedly made a remark suggesting the protesters were behaving as if they had won a war.

In response, Rahul Gandhi was heard saying, “A traitor is walking by, look at his face,” before approaching Bittu and extending his hand. Gandhi then reportedly added, “Hello, brother. My traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back.”

Bittu refused to shake hands with the Congress leader and instead described him as an “enemy of the country” before walking away from the scene.

While the Congress later clarified that Gandhi’s remark was aimed at Bittu for leaving the party, the BJP seized upon the comment, calling it an insult to the Sikh community. Protests were subsequently held by members of the Sikh community outside the Congress headquarters and at other locations.

Addressing the House, Prime Minister Modi said that many leaders had quit the Congress in the past and that the party itself had split multiple times, but none of those leaders had been labelled a traitor. “He called this MP a traitor because he is Sikh,” the Prime Minister alleged, as treasury bench members raised slogans condemning the remark.

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Manipur Assembly to meet at 4 pm today, floor test likely under new chief minister

The Manipur Legislative Assembly will convene at 4 pm today, with a floor test likely as the new chief minister seeks to prove his majority in the House.

Published

15 hours ago

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February 5, 2026

By

Manipur assembly

The Manipur Legislative Assembly will convene at 4 pm on Thursday in Imphal, a day after Yumnam Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the chief minister. A floor test is likely to be held on the first day of the session to establish the majority of the newly formed government.

In the 60-member Assembly, the BJP holds 37 seats, while its ally National People’s Party has six members, giving the ruling combine a clear majority in the House.

Singh chaired the first Cabinet meeting of his government late Wednesday evening, shortly after taking oath as the 13th chief minister of Manipur. The meeting marked the formal start of administrative functioning under the new Council of Ministers.

His appointment came nearly a year after the resignation of former chief minister N Biren Singh, who stepped down following months of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the state.

After taking oath, Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he would work with “utmost diligence to advance development and prosperity in Manipur,” aligning the state’s efforts with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

He said the government’s focus would be on inclusive economic growth while preserving Manipur’s cultural heritage, adding that he would discharge his responsibilities with sincerity and dedication, mindful of the trust placed in him.

The summoning of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, along with the first Cabinet meeting, signals the resumption of legislative and administrative processes in the state, officially bringing President’s rule to an end.

The sixth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly was last held from July 31 to August 12, 2024.

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PM Modi skips Lok Sabha reply as protests force repeated adjournments

PM Modi did not deliver his Lok Sabha reply today after sustained Opposition protests led to repeated adjournments over a dispute involving Rahul Gandhi’s proposed speech.

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1 day ago

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February 4, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not deliver his scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha today after sustained Opposition protests led to multiple adjournments of the House.

The disruption followed an escalation of tensions linked to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed speech and the suspension of eight Opposition MPs a day earlier. The situation worsened after remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey during the proceedings.

Dispute over references to books sparks fresh ruckus

The controversy intensified when Nishikant Dubey responded to Rahul Gandhi’s demand to speak on national security and references to the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief General MM Naravane. Dubey said that while Gandhi wanted to quote from an unpublished book, he himself had brought several books that, according to him, made claims about the Gandhi family.

As Dubey began listing these books and their contents, strong protests erupted from Opposition members. Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the House at the time, cited Rule 349, which restricts members from reading out books, newspapers, or letters unless directly related to parliamentary business. Despite repeated warnings, the matter remained unresolved, leading to another adjournment.

Rahul Gandhi accuses government of silencing debate

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was being prevented from speaking on an issue of national importance. He claimed the government was uncomfortable with references to General Naravane’s memoirs, which he said discussed the handling of the 2020 China border crisis.

In a social media post, Gandhi said he intended to present the Prime Minister with a book authored by the former Army chief, adding that some cabinet ministers had even questioned the existence of the book. He also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the suspension of eight Opposition MPs, alleging that parliamentary debate was being curtailed.

After it became clear that the Prime Minister would not speak in the House today, Gandhi posted that PM Modi had avoided Parliament because he was “scared” to face the truth. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed the allegation, claiming the Prime Minister was unwilling to enter the House.

Proceedings disrupted throughout the day

Lok Sabha proceedings were first adjourned until 2 pm amid loud protests over the issue linked to Naravane’s memoirs. Even after the House reconvened, disruptions continued, preventing normal business from resuming.

Later, Congress MPs staged a demonstration outside the Parliament complex, demanding that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak on the President’s address.

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