
The Centre today rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charges on linking of mobile phone numbers with Aadhaar, saying the scheme is not aimed at shutting anyone’s cell phone but to ensure common man gets the communication device easily. “I think she is aware of the law of the land and its constitution,” Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said. “This (linking scheme and its simplification) has not been brought to shut anyone’s mobile phone. It is to ensure that mobile is made available to masses easily.”
He was replying to a specific question on West Bengal Chief Minister’s opposition to the linking scheme.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee accused the Centre of “interfering in people’s rights and privacy” by unleashing an “autocratic rule” and opposed linking of mobile phone numbers with the biometric identification number. The deadline for linking mobile phone numbers with Aadhaar is February 6, 2018.