No Aadhaar cards cancelled, UIDAI counters Mamata Banerjee's allegations

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has refuted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims regarding the deactivation of Aadhaar cards belonging to individuals from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes in the state. The clarification from UIDAI follows a letter addressed by Banerjee to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wherein she expressed concern over the alleged cancellation of Aadhaar cards, labeling it as a violation of natural justice.

In response to Banerjee's allegations, UIDAI asserted that no Aadhaar numbers have been cancelled stating the pivotal role of Aadhaar as the most widely used digital identity in availing various subsidies, benefits, and services across the nation. The authority reaffirmed this stance on its official website.

The issue arose when Mamata Banerjee highlighted the purported deactivation of Aadhaar cards, particularly among marginalized communities, in her communication with Prime Minister Modi dated February 19. Banerjee's letter underscored the significance of the matter, citing it as a "serious development" and urging attention to the indiscriminate deactivation affecting individuals from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes in West Bengal.

"I wish to bring to your kind notice the sudden development of serious nature of indiscriminate de-activation of Aadhaar Cards of people, especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs communities in West Bengal," Banerjee's letter read.