Aadhaar Bill’s conversion into Money Bill flayed in RS

Moving the Bill, as passed by the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rejected the objections, saying that the purpose of the Bill was to ensure the proper distribution of the subsidies hence it was a money bill. He said merely because someone had challenged a matter “which is not legislated upon in the court, Parliament cannot lose its right to make a law on that matter.” 

“This Bill originated during the UPA and we are taking it further, making it more stringent in terms of safeguarding the privacy and information collected under UID,” Jaitley said. He said the information could not be used by the UID authority even after the consent of individual concerned, a provision which was not in the UPA’s bill. 

The House witnessed a brief spar between Jaitley and Sitaram Yechury of the CPM, as the latter repeatedly interrupted the Minister. “I don’t think this House has appointed you a permanent commentator,” the Minister said, attracting sharp protest from Yechury. “You are trying to snatch my right to comment,” the CPM member said. 

Jaitley responded with matching wit. “Somebody forwarded me a quote and I want to read it for you. If you criticise me then this is your freedom of speech, if I criticise you, then this is my intolerance.”