West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of deactivating Aadhaar cards of people in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She claimed that this action was taken to prevent people from availing the benefits of various social welfare schemes. Speaking at a public distribution programme in Birbhum district, Banerjee assured that her government would continue with the state-run welfare programmes regardless of the beneficiaries’ Aadhaar card status. She urged the chief secretary to ensure that people are not deprived of these benefits even if their Aadhaar cards are inactive.

Banerjee alleged that several Aadhaar cards have been deactivated in districts of Bengal, including Jamalpur in Purba Bardhaman, as well as in Birbhum, North and South 24 Parganas, and North Bengal. She expressed her determination to sever any link between the schemes and the Aadhaar cards if she discovers a hidden motive behind the deactivation.

The Chief Minister criticized the central government’s decision to first mandate Aadhaar cards, even for school admissions, and then deactivate the unique identification numbers without proper notification. She questioned the necessity for multiple Aadhaar cards and the purpose they serve.

Banerjee also directed the chief secretary to launch an online portal where people with deactivated Aadhaar cards could lodge complaints. She suggested that cooperative banks could serve as an alternative to traditional banks if they refuse to allow transactions without Aadhaar cards. Banerjee emphasized that Bengal farmers do not face any issues, addressing the ongoing farmers’ agitation for a government guarantee on the minimum support price of their produce.

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