The story of this regime’s attitude towards its role as Executive and the independence and supremacy of the judiciary when fundamental freedoms are in question, just got murkier.
Days ago, an RTI application and the response evoked revealed that banks, especially private banks are overstepping themselves by demanding as Aadhar Card linkage to every bank account especially since the Reserve Bank if India–the statutory body on banking–had issued no such guideline. The banks were simply following a finance ministry directive! That the finance ministry was even issuing such directives when crucial matters of the Aadhar UID, compulsions, privacy and rights questions are pending before the Supreme Court us the question. This government appears to have no regard for the highest court.
There’s more. Days after the story broke, RBI “rectified”:itself. Sunday’s papers screamed headlines of how the RBI had issued a press release now saying that it’s a must to link the two:bank accounts to Aadhar. As citizens rushed to Court to point out the gross overreach by government and RBI what no one is asking is this.
Why hasn’t thebRBI issued a Notification insteadnif simply releasing a press release ?
Because the RBI knows that it would be a violation of the SC order if it did issue such a notification? Instead the press release (see image) passes the entire onus on government.
A Notification on the mandate of Aadhaar linked with Bank Accounts would have held RBI Governor for contempt Of Court.
SC orders are laws of the land.
Any such executive orders or notifications issued by any authorities Making Aadhaar Compulsory, today (such Orders/Notification) has no legal validity and is even fit to attract contempt of court.
So, instead an ambiguous press release continues to terrorise citizens into compliance even as key issues await adjudication before the Supreme Court.