SC to hear challenge to Aadhaar bill on MAY 10

The Supreme Court on Monday admitted for hearing on May 10 a petition filed by senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh of the Rajya Sabha challenging the money bill route adopted by the government to overcome its minority in the Rajya Sabha and get the Aadhaar Bill passed by Parliament in March.

The Bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices R Banumathi and Uday Umesh Lalit sought views of Attorney Geneal Mukul Rohatgi on the contention of senior advocate P Chidambaram, a former union finance minister, that treating Aadhaar law [Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016] as a money bill was "grossly unconstitutional."

The Chief Justice also hinted that the matter may be referred to the Constitution Bench already hearing the validity of Aadhaar cards.

Rejecting all five amendments proposed by the Rajya Sabha and the Opposition's appeal not to make ‘haste’, the Lok Sabha had on March 16 adopted the bill by a voice vote. Armed with the Speaker's ruling that it was a money bill, the government had moved it in the Rajya Sabha which can only make recommendations to a money bill.

Ramesh has argued in his petition that the prerogative of declaring a bill as a money bill is that of the Speaker and the Speaker's decision is final, but the Speaker acts in this regard on the recommendation of the government. "It is the government that decides whether it is a money bill or not and the Speaker only certifies it as money bill," Ramesh had said.