SC Aadhaar verdict vindicates my stand: Mamata

Milan : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement upholding its validity but restricting it to disbursement of social benefits, saying it vindicates her stand.

"People should have some rights. If bank and mobile phones are linked to Aadhaar card then everything about the person will come into public domain. That this logic is correct and irrefutable has been proved today," Banerjee told the media here.

"We don't compromise or raise questions on government security or internal security. But if my account number becomes public, I may be cheated. This has already happened in ATM transactions," said Banerjee, who is visiting Italy in a bid to rope in investment for her state.

Similarly, if the mobile phone number is linked to Aadhaar, "then the messages you send, or the calls you make, all information gets leaked".

Calling the verdict a victory of the people, she said she has neither linked her bank account nor her mobile number to Aadhaar and have also asked people not to do so.

In a majority judgment, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra held that Aadhaar would be voluntary and not mandatory with an option to exit.