New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that Aadhaar is constitutionally valid. However, Justice D Y Chandrachud noted that “the ruling party shouldn’t have introduced Aadhaar bill as Money Bill”.
“Ruling party many not have majority in Rajya Sabha, but it shouldn’t have introduced Aadhaar bill as Money Bill…That would qualify as subterfuge…The debasement of democratic institutions cannot be allowed,” Justice Chandrachud said while announcing the judgement.
Also read: Aadhaar Constitutional, But Not Needed For Bank Accounts, SIM Cards, College And School Admissions.
“Passing of the bill as a money bill when it does not qualify as a money bill is a fraud on Constitution and it violates basic structure,” Justice Chandrachud added.
A five-judge bench — Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice A K Sikri, Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan — delivered the judgement today.
The Aadhaar Bill was termed as a Money Bill by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Former finance minister P Chidambaram had said that this was a “trick by the BJP government to rob Rajya Sabha and the President from having a say and make amendments to strengthen it”.