Shiv Sena's Saamana attacks Modi government over TRAI chief's Aadhaar challenge fiasco

Saamana editorial pointed that French hacker Elliot Alderson had exposed before the world that data furnished to the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) is not secure.

Amid debate over security of Aadhaar information, the Shiv Sena has now hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the NDA constituent has said that while the government keeps claiming that Aadhaar cards are completely secured, its claims now stand exposed before everyone.

Citing the Aadhaar security challenge thrown by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman RS Sharma, the editorial pointed that French hacker Elliot Alderson had exposed before the world that data furnished to the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) is not secure.

Sharma had shared his Aadhaar number on microblogging site Twitter and had challenged those questioning its security to cause him any harm using the same. Soon after, the French hacker shared some personal details of the TRAI chief on the microblogging site, raising a question mark on the claims of the government.

The Shiv Sena said that it is the responsibility of the government to quash the claims made by the hacker. It further pointed that the hacker had even sent emails to Sharma’s daughter with the help of the TRAI chief’s Aadhaar number and had threatened to bring sensitive documents in public domain.

The editorial says that the information released by the hacker are not sensitive in nature, it does not dilute the gravity of the matter. It said that the issue is about the constitutional rights of people and their trust on the government.

Meanwhile, the UIDAI has claimed that no data was stolen from its database and that the information released by the hacker was already available on platforms like Google. And amid these claims came another shocker as Twitter user, claiming to be an ethical hacker, deposited Re 1 in the bank account of the TRAI chief. The editorial said that the claims of the government were shaken by these developments.