The Supreme Court on Monday asked the government to respond to a petition seeking issuance of Aadhaar cards to persons who have been included in the final supplementary list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
A Bench led by Justice U.U. Lalit issued notice to the Centre, Assam government and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on a plea filed by TMC leader Sushmita Dev.
Senior advocate Bishwajit Deb, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that denial of Aadhaar amounted to the denial of basic amenities and needs.
The top court issued the notice and posted the matter for hearing on May 17.
The plea submitted that though the people whose names were included in the Final List tried to apply for Aadhaar Cards, UIDAI had rejected them.
"The Assam government and the Union of India are denying access to the biometrics of the individuals whose names have been incorporated in the supplementary list dated August 31, 2019, and are, therefore, not able to access the benefits as would they be entitled to by having an Aadhaar Number," the petition said.
