Aadhaar-PAN linking: Supreme Court verdict vindicates government's stand, says Mukul Rohtagi

New Delhi: Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi termed the Supreme Court verdict on Friday upholding linking of the Aadhaar number with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) as vindicating the government's stand."It is vindication of our stand," Rohtagi told the media after the apex court upheld the provision in the Income Tax Act mandating linking of the Aadhaar number with the PAN, but partially blocked its operation.A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan in their judgment held that those who already possess the Aadhaar number will have to link it with PAN, but it cannot be insisted upon in case of people not possessing it.It said that those who have already applied for Aadhaar number but are yet to receive it would suffer no adverse consequences and their PAN cards would not be invalidated as this would have "serious consequences".