Shillong, May 16: The Meghalaya People's Committee on Aadhaar today asked the state government to stop enrolment of citizens under the scheme after iterating its reservations.

The committee wrote to chief minister Mukul Sangma after reports suggested that Aadhaar enrolment would resume from this month in East Khasi Hills district.

"We would like to bring before you our reservations for Aadhaar enrolment drive being undertaken in Meghalaya and urge you to withdraw such activities with immediate effect," the committee said.

Reminding Mukul about the Supreme Court's interim order that Aadhaar is not "mandatory" for getting benefits under the welfare schemes, the committee noted that a constitutional bench of the apex court is considering the legal validity of Aadhaar on the ground of right to privacy.

"The issue of citizenship after last year's amendment to Citizenship Act of 1955 together with Aadhaar enrolment can - instead of providing security to genuine Indian citizens - cause more social instability, thereby creating law and order problem due to apprehension of general public," Rev. P.B.M. Basaiawmoit, one of the committee members, said in the letter.

Touching upon the influx issue, Basaiawmoit said Aadhaar identification would render the exercise of checking influx futile.

"Our struggle with the issue of influx dates back to 1979 as we apprehend that demographic imbalance and other ills would defeat the very objective of having a separate state and protection of provisions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. But Aadhaar identification will put this exercise (of checking influx) into futility."

Basaiawmoit claimed that people have reservations against Aadhaar enrolment and pointed out that until Sunday, enrolment of Aadhaar by Meghalaya residents is only 278,906, that is nine per cent of its over 30 lakh population.

"It would be unethical to push or persuade people of the state to go for Aadhaar enrolment through various ways and means or indirect mandatory approach through educational institutions and unorganised labour sector besides misinformation." Basaiawmoit pointed out.

He said along with Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, too, has been exempted from producing Aadhaar numbers and this should be highlighted and made known at all levels.

The committee also demanded "public hearings" before Aadhaar enrolment.