Privacy a fundamental right: PM Modi keeps mum, twitter bursts into jubilation

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Supreme Court judgment on triple talaq as “historic”, he remains conspicuously silent over the unanimous nine-judge Constitution Bench ruling that today held Right to Privacy as Fundamental as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The government, according to experts, has suffered a huge setback as this ruling threatens Prime Minister Narendra Modi's biometric payment scheme.

On the contrary, social media platforms exploded into jubilation over the “landmark judgment” towards strengthening of civil liberties and basic human rights in the country.

Another Independence Day

Former Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, in a series of tweets said, that privacy is the core of personal liberty and Article 21 has acquired a new magnificence. “Privacy is a fundamental right. The freedom that was won in 1947 has been enriched and enlarged,” he wrote on twitter.

No credit to BJP

Many twitter users were quick in pointing out BJP must not claim the credit for the Supreme Court ruling holding right to privacy as a fundamental right as in case of recent instant triple talaq judgement.

Recalling the Union government’s argument in the apex court that right to privacy is not a fundamental right and is subject to restrictions in public interest, many posted the clipping of the news-reports, saying that it should not be forgotten what the BJP-led NDA government had submitted in the court.

Impact on Aadhaar

Even though today’s verdict does not comment on whether the government's demand for Aadhaar to be linked to all financial transactions amounts to an infringement of privacy, twitter users said that in the light of the unanimous opinion of the nine-judge bench, the Government must demonstrate sense and to stop pushing Aadhaar.

Cartoons and caricatures depicting “restoration of privacy” also came handing in articulating hilarious and ironic reactions to the SC verdict.

Kerala ‘love jihad’ case

Some of the social media users didn’t miss the opportunity and questioned if the Chief Justice of India’s recent order in which he directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe an alleged case of love jihad in Kerala doesn’t violate right to privacy of an adult woman who consciously chose to convert her religion and marry a man of her choice.