Right to Privacy: It was a challenge, but our govt had a clear stand on privacy, says Arun Jaitley

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday criticised the previous UPA government for bringing about Aadhaar without a law and without safeguards for data.

“There was a challenge, but our government always had a clear stand on privacy,” Jaitley told ANI.

While speaking on the Supreme Court verdict, Jaitley said that it was a positive development. “Evolution of constitutional law goes on and there is always an effort to strengthen fundamental right,” he said.

He, however, said that while the Supreme Court had accepted that privacy was a fundamental right, it wasn’t an absolute right.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had earlier told reporters that the court has said that right to privacy is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions.

“The Supreme Court has affirmed what the government had said in Parliament while moving the Aadhar Bill. Privacy should be a fundamental right subject to reasonable restrictions,” Prasad said.

Earlier, the Centre had argued that right to privacy is not a Fundamental right, the petitioners had contended that when a citizen gives his biometrics and personal details to the government and when in turn it is used by commercial organisations, it is a breach of privacy.

The judgement was limited to the issue …read more