After the BJP, now smaller parties too raked up the issue of possible tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Leaders of the RJD and the SP on Tuesday led an Opposition attack against EVMs, saying these could be tampered with. But the government stoutly denied allegation.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav raised the issue of EVMs in the Lok Sabha during a debate on a bill to provide voting rights for NRIs, which was passed by the House. He said, the machines could be tampered with and manipulated.
“EVMs hatayiye aur ballot layiye (remove EVMS and bring back paper ballots),” Mr Yadav said, noting that even the BJP was ready to support this demand. Mr Yadav demanded that the use of EVMs should be stopped forthwith, saying the US had found the “voting machines are not tamper-proof enough and can be manipulated”. Law minister M. Veerappa Moily said some individuals have made some allegations against EVMs, but this had been examined a number of times including by a technical committee headed by former IIT director P.V. Indiresan.
“This technical committee had found that the EVMs are totally efficient and tamper-proof. Till today, nobody has been able to dispute this,” he added.
“I know the EVM issue has agitated the minds of members of this House time and again. But this is the finding, as of today,” he added.