To Shri Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister State of Maharashtra RE
To Shri Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister State of Maharashtra RE: Linking of Voter IDs with Aadhaar numbers The Times of India reported on July 22 that the office of the Maharashtra Chief Minister had written to India’s Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora regarding linking voter IDs with the Aadhaar number. The report quoted you, Mr Fadnavis, as saying “that this linkage will help prevent bogus voting and ensure that there is proper identification of voters”. This is shocking as targeting electors whose voter IDs have been linked with Aadhaar is a corrupt practice under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as it amounts to gratification and manipulation of voters similar to what was done in the Cambridge Analytica episode in various elections across the world. 1. The Maharashtra Government has already used the following options to link Aadhaar to voter IDs. Option - 1. Through Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra State’s website viz: https://ceo.maharashtra.gov.in, or Option - 2. Through mobile phone by login to https://ceo.maharashtra.gov.in/maadhaar, or Option - 3. Through Election Commission of India, Delhi’s website viz: https://eci.nic.in, or Option - 4. Through SMS from mobile Phone to 51969, or Option - 5. Through physical submission of papers to ERO’s office or to VHC. 2. The Maharashtra Government has carried out "direct benefit transfers" – cash transfers – of subsidies and welfare benefits to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, through, among others, the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, Tribal Development Department, Directorate of Higher Education, Directorate of Technical Education, School Education and Sports Department, VJNT, OBC and SBC Welfare Department, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Minority Development Department, Maharashtra Council of Agriculture Education and Research (MCAER), Directorate of Art, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University(MAFSU) and the Department of Disability.
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