Hyderabad: UIDAI sends notice to 127 people to prove 'Indian citizenship'

Hyderabad: UIDAI sends notice to 127 people to prove 'Indian citizenship'

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), that issues Aadhar cards, has asked at least 127 people in Hyderabad to prove their 'Indian citizenship'. In a notice, the authority has warned that their Aadhar cards will be cancelled if they don't verifiy their enrolment documents in person.

On Tuesday, a rickshaw driver named Sattar Khan was asked to appear before a UIDAI official on February 20 “with all necessary documents in original to prove all his claims of Indian citizenship”. The letter went viral on social media.

“If you are not an Indian national, prove that you have entered the territory of India legally and your stay is valid,” the notice, served under Rule 30 (Chapter VI) of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016, said. It also mentions a “complaint/objection” against Khan's enrolment, without naming the person who raised it.

After the notice made headlines, the UIDAI defended itself saying that Telangana police has informed its Hyderabad office that 127 people obtained Aadhaar “on false pretences” and were illegal immigrants.

“In the said notice/s, the residents in Hyderabad, 127 in number, were asked to appear before the deputy director on 20th February for a personal hearing. Since it may take them some more time to collect their original documents that they had submitted for obtaining Aadhaar, as informed by the state police, the UIDAI has postponed the personal hearing to May 2020,” the agency said.

“...Aadhaar has got nothing to do with the citizenship issue as such. Aadhaar is not a document of citizenship and UIDAI has been mandated under the Aadhaar Act to ascertain residency of a person in India for 182 days prior to applying for Aadhaar. Also, the Supreme Court of India in its landmark decision has directed UIDAI not to issue Aadhaar to illegal immigrants,” it added.

Notably, the development comes at a time when the country is rocked by protests against the recently amended citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).