UIDAI asks 127 to prove citizenship, sparks controversy

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, February 19

The UIDAI Hyderabad office on Wednesday said it has issued notices to 127 persons to substantiate their claims for getting Aadhaar cards, though the notices clearly asked them to “prove their citizenship”.

One Mohammad Sattar, who lives in Bhavani Nagar area of the Talab Katta, has been asked to appear before the inquiry officer — a Deputy Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) — on February 20.

The notice served under Rule 30 of Aadhaar (enrollment and update) has asked Sattar to appear before the inquiry officer with “all the necessary documents in original to prove all your claims of citizenship”. The notice also says in case Sattar is not a citizen of India then he should come up with the proof of his valid entry and stay permission.

After the notice went viral on social media, it attracted sharp reactions from people who are already protesting the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). Hyderabad local MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has called it as the beginning of the unveiling of the numerous denials by the government about CAA being anti-Muslim.

Hyderabad is witnessing numerous protests every day ever since Parliament passed the CAA. Local shopkeepers at Chatta Bazaar in Mirchowk have adopted a novel way to protest against the CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) by voluntarily turning off lights at their respective shops and halting business for 15 minutes each day.

Sattar’s lawyer Muzzafar Ali Khan, while questioning the notice by UIDAI, said he will approach the High Court over the issue as the Central Government has repeatedly said: “Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship”.

Meanwhile, the local office of the UIDAI has said it has sent notices to 127 people for allegedly obtaining Aadhaar numbers on “false pretences” but asserted these have “nothing to do with citizenship”.

“Severe errors like forged documents, etc., will lead to appropriate actions, including suspending or cancelling the Aadhaar. These notices have nothing to do with citizenship and cancellation of Aadhaar number is in no way related to the nationality of any resident,” the statement said.