Aadhaar data breach FIR: NC condemns case against journalist

The National Conference today condemned the UIDAI filing a case over a report in The Tribune on the breach of details of more than one billion Aadhaar cards, saying the Centre should introspect about the loopholes in the system and not curb the freedom of the press.

The Delhi Police on January 5 had registered an FIR on an Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) official's complaint over the report in the newspaper.

"The legal action against the journalist (Rachna Khaira) was ironic and indicated an unprecedented atmosphere of intolerance where the media was being prevented from discharging its duties in upholding accountability and transparency in the system," National Conference spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said.


He said that the "Aadhaar Expose" should be an eye-opener for the government and should lead to a thorough investigation to uphold the privacy and security in the Aadhaar system.

"Rather than introspecting and using this as an opportunity to right the wrongs, the government is trying to cover up the revelations by resorting to suppression through legal means," the spokesman said.

Mattu reiterated that the valid concerns over privacy and security breaches in the UIDAI system and said that the central government should stop these evasive measures to escape responsibility.

It should take immediate action to assure citizens that their private information is not a commodity on sale, he said.