Judgement people's, opposition victory: Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI: The Congress welcomed SC order declaring privacy a fundamental right, with party president Sonia Gandhi saying the judgement “strikes a blow on the unbridled encroachment and surveillance by the state and its agencies in the life of the common man” and terming it a people’s and combined Opposition’s “victory against arrogant attempts of the present government to curtail right to privacy”.

Senior leader P Chidambaram said the apex court order marked a setback for the government given its legal officers had argued privacy can’ t be a Fundamental Right.

He said the ruling can raise questions on the NDA regime deviating from the original purpose of the Aadhaar cards and making it mandatory for even buying air or train tickets and for school admission, cautioning that post-judgement issues such as data transfer and the application of Section 377 will have to be relooked at given privacy is now a Fundamental Right.

Hailing the order and pointing out the collective stand of Opposition parties, Gandhi said, “It strikes a blow on the unbridled encroachment and surveillance by the state and its agencies in the life of the common man. The Congress Party and our governments along with other opposition parties stood together, in court and in Parliament, to speak out for the right to privacy and dignity of all Indians against the arrogant attempts of the present government to curtail them”.