Left MP urges Narendra Modi to 'scrap' Aadhaar project

NEW DELHI: A Left MP today requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "scrap" the Aadhaar project launched by the UPA government in the wake of reports that US security agency NSA was allegedly "collecting the biometric data of Indian citizens".

In a letter to Modi, CPI's Rajya Sabha member M P Achuthan alleged that the US was using the agreement with India for the exchange of data to get biometric information of Indians and asked the new government to order an enquiry about its leakage.

Citing reports, he claimed that the biometric data collected in India was given to NSA and there was "widespread apprehension" about the security of such information collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for Aadhaar card.

"UIDAI engages private companies, both Indian and foreign, for collecting biometric data including Iris scan and finger prints. These foreign vendors collect and store the biometric data of our people," he said in his letter.

The Communist leader said that the Intelligence Bureau is learnt to have warned in 2012 about the danger of engaging foreign vendors in the process of Aadhaar Card.

"But the government didn't heed to the concern expressed by the IB. Now the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has revealed that US intelligence was collecting biometric data of people from many countries including India. "Apart from the security, this is a gross violation of the privacy of our people," he said in the letter.

"For ensuring the privacy of the people and security of our country, an urgent relook on the UIDAI project is essential. The government must ensure that the data already collected are not shared with foreign spy agencies. The Aadhaar project, which do not have the backing of law must be scrapped," he said in the letter.