SC Constitution Bench Will Hear Pleas For Interim Orders on Aadhaar Linkage: CJI

CJI Dipak Misra on Monday said the constitution bench of the Supreme Court will decide the applications seeking complete stay on the linking of Aadhaar with any government welfare schemes and other facilities. CJI hinted that the Constitution Bench will be constituted next week.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said: “Let the application for interim order be placed before the Constitution Bench next week.”

The bench accepted petitioner’s lawyer senior advocate Shyam Divan’s submission that the division bench had given the petitioner the liberty to mention if the constitution bench does not hear the Aadhaar issue before December 31.

Divan was arguing after Attorney General KK Venugopal mentioned before the CJI court seeking the court to list Aadhaar matter in February.

The Centre told the Supreme Court that Justice Srikrishna Commission has already released white paper on the data protection issue and there is a possibility that the commission would suggest some amendments also which would take some time. The court should list the matter in February next year, it said.

To the AG’s submission, Divan said he has no objection for the final hearing of the matter but there is an application for interim order that must be taken up before December 31.

He cited an order passed by the division bench in which the petitioner was granted liberty to mention in case of delay in hearing.

The Centre has already told the court that the government would take a decision on extension of deadline for linking of Aadhaar with mobile phones and bank accounts by March 31 next year.