UIDAI postpones Aadhaar personal hearings to May

Hyderabad: The Unique Identification Authority of India has postponed to May the personal hearing for verifying the documents of certain cardholders who were asked to appear before the inquiry officer on February 20.

The UIDAI authorities clarified that these notices have nothing to do with citizenship and the cancellation of an Aadhaar number is no way related to the nationality of any resident. Aadhaar is not a citizenship document. Also, the Supreme Court of India in its landmark decision has directed UIDAI not to issue Aadhaar to illegal immigrants.

The authorities stated that ‘It may be noted that the RO Hyderabad received reports from the State Police that 127 people have obtained Aadhaar on false pretences as in their preliminary enquiry they were found to be illegal immigrants who were not qualified to obtain an Aadhaar number. As per the Aadhaar Act, such Aadhaar numbers are liable to be cancelled. Therefore, the RO Hyderabad has sent notices to them to appear in person and to substantiate their claims for getting an Aadhaar number. After their replies are received and examined, and if it is found and proved that any of them has obtained Aadhaar by submitting false documents or through false pretences, then their Aadhaar is liable to be cancelled or suspended depending on the severity of the transgression. Severe errors like forged documents etc, will lead to appropriate actions, including suspending/cancelling the Aadhaar.’

However, in the said notice/s, the residents in Hyderabad, 127 in number, were asked to appear before the Deputy Director on February 20 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.