Bring in legislation that gives Privacy Rights for all Indians, MP writes to PM Modi

MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar pitches for privacy rights for all Indians; says over-arching legislation on privacy needed as JDY, BPL, LPG and other database are outside the purview of Aadhaar
New Delhi, March, 18, 2016: Pursuing his demand for the need for Privacy rights for all Indians, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to proactively explore the possibility of a new Privacy legislation or review the existing IT Act, Sec 43 A and other sections. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MP urged that a multi-stakeholder consultation be initiated so that the views of various stakeholders, including security agencies, are taken into account while this legislation is being conceived and architected.

Thanking the government for recognizing privacy as a fundamental right, Mr. Chandrasekhar said while the NDA’s Aadhaar Bill significantly expanded the rights to privacy and protection of information, there was a need for a new over-arching privacy legislation given that there are many other databases, like Jan Dhan Yojana, BPL, LPG etc. that are out of the purview of the Aadhaar Bill, but are significant parts of the subsidy delivery mechanism of the Government, the MP said.

Belated wisdom of Congress

The MP pointed out that UPA government was insensitive and unresponsive to the demands to recognize privacy as fundamental right leading to UID/ Privacy ending up in Supreme Court of which he was one of the petitioners.

Pursuing Privacy Policy for Indians

Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been consistency pursuing the need for Privacy Policy as the fundamental right for several years both inside and outside Parliament. The MP has written in June 2013 to the then NSA Shivshankar Menon, later to NSA Ajit Doval in July 2014 and to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in June 2015 asking the government to initiate a comprehensive discussion to draft a robust and comprehensive internet privacy legislation to protect privacy of citizens, to clearly define the privacy rights of Indian netizens and had urged for a wide dialogue to audit review and improve on the privacy processes and legislation within India.