The Ultimate Tool for Crazed Leaders

For argument’s sake, let’s take a look at two controversial amendments and what implications they will have when clubbed together. One provision within this Bill gives unreasonable powers to Income Tax officials to conduct search & seizures. The other provision makes Aadhaar compulsory for Income Tax filing. The bill also says that it is mandatory to link PAN cards with Aadhaar by July 1 this year, otherwise the PAN will become invalid.

Consider this hypothetical scenario where the Aadhaar system becomes so robust that it can give an operator all kinds of data about a single person like name, age, address, mobile number, location, bank account details, tax payments, caste, religion and more. If the operator happens to be a person in power, this kind of information can be used for getting rid of their competition, to anticipate behavior, to watch over their activities and to harass close friends/family, just to use them as leverage.

During the 50 days of demonetisation, there were reports about how the PMO was giving directions to the Income Tax Department and ordering them to conduct raids, seize cash & ‘produce results’. The added capacity of Aadhaar-based tracking will make these raids more precise, more accurate and more efficient. Add to that the Finance Bill clause which says that the IT officers will not be answerable to anyone and cannot be questioned as to why they conducted the raid. Who is this mysterious informer whose identity this government is so eager to protect by removing the reason to believe clause?

It’s terrifying when you consider what kind of misery a crazed leader with dictatorial tendencies can unleash using this. Since this has now become a law, any leader in the future can use this to unleash havoc and retain their post. Do not make the mistake of seeing this as a short-term, two-and-a-half year ‘problem’ which will go away after the 2019 general elections. The sad truth is that whoever comes to power will want this political tool in their hands to retain the title of the most powerful person in India.