[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-70

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080037812&ch=1/5/2008%2011:14:00%20PM

 Delhi governor justifies ID card proposal
NDTV Correspondent
Saturday, January 05, 2008, (New Delhi)

In the midst of the controversy over his announcement of mandatory
photo-identity cards, Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna tonight said that
the move was not meant to harass people and "they have just to specify
the reason for their stay in the city."

"It will be a random checking by the police and not meant to harass
people. The announcement was made keeping in view the security
scenario in the country," a spokesperson from the Lt Governor office
told PTI.

He said the citizens will be asked to give the reason for staying in
Delhi and any kind of identity proof would serve the purpose.

On Friday, Khanna at a press conference had said that from January 15,
police will carry out random checking to verify the antecedent of any
citizen in the city.

The move has drawn stiff criticism BJP which called it "impracticable"
and the Congress saying there were difficulties in implementing it.

"I got to know about this from the newspapers. The Lieutenant Governor
must have thought over it a lot before deciding, this is not something
impossible," said Shiela Dikshit, Chief Minister.

Diskhit made it clear that her government wasn't party to a proposal
floated by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi that makes it mandatory
for every Delhiite to carry a photo identity card from the 15th of
this month.

The Congress government in Delhi has raised doubts about implementing
the scheme given the city's large migrant workers, many of whom do not
have proper documents to establish their identity.

But some feel the move may prove to be a tool for harassment.

"It'll give police chance to harass poor people. They will be able to
extract money," said Prashant Bhushan, Supreme Court Lawyer.

With Delhi going to polls this year, the issue could become
politically sensitive. In fact the Opposition has gone a step further.

"The Central Government should issue multi-purpose identity cards to
every Indian National and also prepare a National Citizenship
Register," said Prakash Javedekar, Spokesperson, BJP.

But some believe the idea will actually make the Capital city a safer
place to live in, which includes Former Police Officer Kiran Bedi.
Bedi is of the opinion that this is a welcome move. (With PTI Inputs)