Only 11,272 foreign nationals have Aadhaar: TMC MP quotes UIDAI reply

Only 11,272 overseas nationals successful India person Aadhaar, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale said connected Thursday (November 6, 2025), quoting the UIDAI's data, arsenic helium attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly claiming that a immense fig of foreigners had the document.

In a station connected X, Mr. Gokhale shared a transcript of a reply fixed by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar to his missive successful which helium had asked fig of Aadhaar issued to overseas nationals.

"I wrote to UIDAI asking however galore Aadhaar cards successful India person been issued to overseas nationals. The answer? Only 11,272 foreigners," Mr. Gokhale said successful his post.

"Over the past year, HM Amit Shah and BJP person been claiming that a immense fig of amerciable overseas migrants person been issued Aadhaar cards successful India. It is important to enactment that Aadhaar cards are issued by the UIDAI nether the Modi Govt and not State govts," helium said.

He said if the UIDAI knows that lone 11,272 foreigners person Aadhaar cards, it is wide that the remainder are Indian citizens.

"In that case, wherefore is the ECI claiming that Aadhaar tin not beryllium accepted arsenic impervious of citizenship?" helium asked.

The Election Commission of India had initially excluded Aadhaar arsenic a impervious of individuality for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls successful Bihar, saying it was not a impervious of citizenship.

But aft a absorption of the Supreme Court, the canvass sheet included it arsenic the 12th papers successful the indicative list.

"ECI started accepting Aadhaar for the SIR (Silent Invisible Rigging) workout lone aft being ordered by the Supreme Court," Mr. Gokhale said.

The Rajya Sabha subordinate besides slammed Mr. Shah for claiming that "millions of overseas migrants" had Aadhaar cards.

"If the UIDAI knows the fig of foreigners holding Aadhaar cards, wherefore has Amit Shah falsely claimed that determination are millions of overseas migrants holding Aadhaar?" the TMC person asked.

Replying to the statement connected the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, successful Lok Sabha successful March this year, Mr. Shah accused the TMC, which rules West Bengal, and Congress, which erstwhile governed Assam, of allowing Rohingyas and Bangladeshis to participate India, and issuing them Aadhaar and elector cards.

It takes "10 seconds" to observe a fake Aadhaar arsenic it is linked to biometrics, Mr. Gokhale said.

"A speedy scan of the QR codification connected an Aadhaar tin amusement if it's fake. Why past does Amit Shah assertion determination are fake Aadhaars being used?" helium said.

The lawmaker said that retired of 142 crore Aadhaar that beryllium successful India, the fig of them issued to overseas nationals comes down to lone 0.007%.

"It is wide that ECI is conducting a backdoor NRC utilizing the excuse of SIR... The ECI is utilizing SIR (Silent Invisible Rigging) to delete voters and snatch distant the citizenship of mean Indians who don't ballot for BJP," helium alleged.

The SIR workout commenced successful West Bengal connected November 4 and faced stiff absorption from the TMC, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking retired a rally against it successful Kolkata connected the aforesaid day.

The UIDAI CEO, successful his reply to Mr. Gokhale, said The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, defines a nonmigratory arsenic an idiosyncratic who has resided successful India for a play oregon periods amounting successful each to 1 100 and eighty-two days oregon much successful the 12 months instantly preceding the day of exertion for enrolment.

It said overseas nationals satisfying the criteria are entitled to Aadhaar, which whitethorn beryllium utilized by them to found individuality for purposes specified arsenic issuance of a mobile fig and opening of slope accounts.

It said a full of 11,272 Aadhaar numbers person been issued nether the class of "resident foreigners" till date, and constricted validity Aadhaar are issued to nonmigratory foreigners, with validity co-terminus with their visa.

Overseas Citizens of India are issued an Aadhaar with a validity of 10 years.