BJP’s compulsory Aadhar linking has become a pain for the layperson, says Saamna

Shiv Sena criticises its ally after 11-year-old in Jharkhand dies of starvation, allegedly after her mother is denied food as her Aadhar and ration cards are not linked

The Shiv Sena once again slammed its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday, this time for the compulsory linking of Aadhar card to the public food distribution system and ration cards, which allegedly led to the death of a 11-year-old girl in Jharkhand.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has been severely critical of its ally, the BJP, for a while now. (HT File)

“Santoshi Kumari’s mother went to the ration shop to buy rice, but Aadhar came in the way . The shop owner cited rules and did not give her the ration. Following that, the little girl died of hunger. This is a sad and shocking incident,” an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ said.

The Sena went on to criticise the central government for mandatorily linking Aadhar card to bank accounts, ration cards, and mobile phone numbers, and said that it has become a pain for the layperson rather than a convenient facility.

The editorial also referred to the Supreme Court’s negative views on this linking. “The government wants to make Aadhar card a support for the people, but if the forceful linking of Aadhar doesn’t help the population below the poverty line, the plan has failed,” the Saamna piece said.