Odisha Man Sues PM Modi For Failing To Get Aadhaar Card

Bhubaneswar: Frustrated with multiple attempts to get an Aadhaar card, a daily wager in Kandhamal district has moved the Lok Adalat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jitendra Kumar Sethy, a resident of Khetapaju village in Khajuripada block, took the unusual step for redressal of his grievance after applying and getting photographed 21 times for the elusive card.

In a one-page petition filed at the Lok Adalat in Phulbani, Jitendra pointed out that he was not issued the card due to technical glitches in taking his fingerprints, Hindu reported.

“I am not able to access different government welfare schemes. I am being turned away by government offices as I don’t have an Aadhaar card,” said Jitendra, who lives with his aged parents, wife and three children.

His other family members, however, didn’t face any issue for getting Aadhaar cards.

“My photographs were taken 21 times. First, I stood in a queue at Khajuripada tehsil office. Later, I waited for five to six months. My father received his Aadhaar number, while my application was shown as rejected. Subsequently, I enrolled for an Aadhaar card at our Balaskumpa Panchayat office. It was again rejected,” he said.

Jitendra was asked to register and get photographed several times in Phulbani. The man claimed to have met the district collector more than once. Despite assurances by district authorities, he failed to secure the Aadhaar card each time.

“I was instructed to go to Bhubaneswar to enquire the reason behind repeated rejections. Being a daily-wage earner, I cannot afford to visit the capital city,” he said.

“Then, my well-wishers advised me to file a case in the Lok Adalat as I need not have to spend anything for fighting my case. I decided to sue the Prime Minister as he is the one who is responsible for the implementation of Aadhaar,” he said.