On Tuesday, the UIDAI said its Hyderabad office has sent notices to 127 people for allegedly obtaining Aadhaar numbers on “false pretences” but also claimed these have nothing to do with citizenship.
After the reports from the police, the notices have been issued said UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India)
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,” the nodal body, which issues the 12-digit biometric ID, said in a statement.
The Supreme Court, in its landmark decision, has directed the UIDAI not to issue Aadhaar to illegal immigrants, it said.
“It may be noted that the regional office Hyderabad received reports from the state police that 127 people have obtained Aadhaar on false pretences, as in their preliminary enquiry they were found illegal immigrants who were not qualified to obtain an Aadhaar number,” the UIDAI said.
#PressRelease 18 Feb 2020 Aadhaar is not a citizenship document 1/n
— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) February 19, 2020
According to the Aadhaar Act, such Aadhaar numbers are liable to be cancelled.
“Therefore, the regional office Hyderabad has sent notices to them to appear in person and to substantiate their claims for getting an Aadhaar number,” it said.
The UIDAI emphasised that these notices have “nothing to do with citizenship and cancellation of Aadhaar number is in no way related to the nationality of any resident”.
In case it is found and proved that any of them obtained Aadhaar by submitting false documents or through false pretences, their Aadhaar is liable to be cancelled or suspended depending on the severity of the transgression, UIDAI said.
The 127 people have been asked to appear before the UIDAI deputy director in Hyderabad for a personal hearing on February 20.
