Our Correspondent / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court has said, a constitution bench will be set up to hear a clutch of petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing various services and government welfare schemes.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said today that the larger bench will commence hearing on these petitions in the last week of November this year.
Earlier today, the apex court questioned the West Bengal government for filing a plea challenging the Centre’s move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes while asking how a state can challenge the mandate of Parliament.
It also asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to file the plea as an individual.
Recently, a nine-judge Constitution bench had held that the Right to Privacy was a Fundamental Right under the Constitution.Several petitioners challenging the validity of Aadhaar had raised the issue that the scheme was violative of privacy rights.
Senior advocates Gopal Subramanium and Shyam Divan, appearing for those opposing the Aadhaar scheme, had sought urgent hearing on the petitions.