With law, justice and information technology on his plate, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s hands are full. In an exclusive interview to DNA, he speaks of the need for an alternative to impeachment amidst allegations of corruption against the judiciary, questions the “silence” of mainstream opposition parties on triple talaq, and refutes that Aadhaar invades privacy.  Excerpts from the interview:

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of backing Muslim women who were fighting triple talaq. Is the government considering bringing a legislation on it?

Triple talaq has come into focus in India’s political debate for the first time. Earlier, the anger was subdued. The victims challenged it in court and the Supreme Court sought the stand of the government, which challenged it on three grounds. First, the issue is not religious and does not relate to faith, but relates primarily to gender justice, equality and dignity. Second, we respect faith and religion, but every pernicious practice cannot be held integral to faith. Can a Hindu say that he will practise untouchability because it is necessary for his puja? Third, if more than 30 Islamic countries have regulated it, saying the same has not been found to be in violation of Sharia laws, how can that argument be raised here? However, the utter silence of mainstream parties, including those led by women — Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee — on an issue where the victims are women, is a textbook case of appeasement politics.

What about Uniform Civil Code?

The two issues are separate. The Law Commission has been asked to hold wide-ranging consultations involving all stakeholders on this.

The judiciary is facing corruption allegations involving senior judges. How does the government intend to deal with this?

We respect the independence of the judiciary. In many ways, we are proud of the Indian judiciary, such as the way in which it has given legal redress to people and held aloft the flag of rule of the law. I understand there is a robust mechanism within the judiciary to take action. Impeachment should not be the only way out. An alternative needs to be thought of. There should be an effective in-house mechanism headed by the judiciary.

Aadhaar has been at the centre of controversy over secrecy and government schemes being denied to those who do not have the card. What is your view?

Aadhaar is safe and secure, and there is complete respect of privacy. It is based on minimum information and optimum privacy. It does not give details about religion, educational qualifications or medical history. There is no information that profiles an individual. Biometrics and iris scans are encrypted. The poor are not complaining because the benefits are reaching them. The government has saved Rs 50,000 crore by weeding out fictitious names.