Bill cleared amid Oppn din

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 aimed at curbing “the menace of multiple enrollments of the same person in different places”.

Allow Election Commission officials to seek Aadhaar details of registered voters on a voluntary basis

Makes the language of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 gender neutral

Several oppn MPS asked that the bill be referred to a standing committee and raised objections on the following grounds: Linking of Aadhaar was only meant to be Aadhaar proof of residence, does not numbers with reflect any proof of citizenship the voter ids will lead to mass disenfranchisement

The bill will infringe on right to privacy

They are opposing it unnecessarily:

Union law minister, adding that the Bill will cleanse the election system.

The minister said various proposals which are part of the bill have been recommended by the Standing Committee of Law and Personnel.

“They are opposing it unnecessarily,” Rijiju said. He cited findings of the standing committee on law to justify the government’s decision.

“Appropriate actions for the purpose of linking Aadhaar card number with voter I-card to purify the electoral roll is in larger interest of democratic polity,” the committee said last year.

The recommendation was part of its report on demands for grants (2020-21) of the law ministry tabled in Parliament.

The Bill should be referred to a standing committee for analysis, leader of opposition and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded. “Linking of Aadhaar numbers with the voter