The confusion over deactivated Aadhar Cards is taking centre-stage in the state with both the TMC and the BJP accusing one another of inconveniencing citizens of the state.
Just a day after Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal accused the centre of cancelling the Aadhaar cards of several residents in the state, she wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioning why such a move was made.
On the other hand, union minister of state Shantanu Thakur said that no cards had been deactivated and that it was only a technical glitch.
In her letter, Banerjee mentioned that her government would issue alternate cards to affected citizens in order for them to keep receiving government benefits.
Mamata Banerjee Claims This Is A Conspiracy
On February 20, Banerjee had claimed that there was a “conspiracy”, and that Aadhaar cards of people in the districts of Birbhum, North and South Paraganas, and some parts of North Bengal had been “cancelled.”
In today’s letter to the Prime Minister, she wrote, “I would like to know the causes for the sudden action of deactivation of Aadhaar cards without assigning reasons. Is it just to deprive eligible beneficiaries of benefits or to create panic just before the Lok Sabha elections?” she wrote.
Shantanu Thakur BJP MP From Bongaon Meets Amit Shah Over The Matter
Thakur, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from West Bengal’s Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas, held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Monday morning. He later said that no such “cancellation had taken place.”
The BJP MP in his post on X, the social media platform shared a statement of the UIDAI in which the agency stated: “In view of maintaining the accuracy of the Aadhaar database, UIDAI had initiated an exercise for update of documents and Aadhaar information. In the course of activities undertaken to keep the Aadhaar database updated, intimations are issued from time- to- time to Aadhaar number holders. In this connection, it is clarified that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled. In case any Aadhaar number holder has any grievance in this regard, they may submit their feedback here”.
Mamata Banerjee also said that the state administration had launched a portal named “Aadhaar Grievances Portal of Government of West Bengal”. Those who were facing grievances could register themselves on the portal and that the government would soon meet the Election Commission of India regarding the issue. “The portal will be functioning from February 20. Citizens, whose cards are being deactivated, may register on this portal. I am going to give them a separate card so that they are not deprived of the benefits. They might face problems receiving money through banks, but we will set up camps from where they will get the money,” Banerjee said.
“People from the scheduled tribes, minority community, Matuas, Namashudras, poor people and labourers are being targeted,” claimed the chief minister.
Shantanu Thakur, a Matua leader himself, however said that the TMC chief was spreading lies, and this issue was not in the purview of the state government. “I apologise to the people whose Aadhaar cards have been deactivated. It was a technical glitch. Union home minister Amit Shah has held a meeting today. Citizens whose cards have been deactivated need to apply online. Their cards would become active soon. I will also provide a WhatsApp number and email address in which they just need to send their names and addresses,” Thakur assured the affected citizens through reporters.
Bengali