Amid claims by a self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert that electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday said that keeping democracy’s larger interest in view, the Election Commission of India (ECI) should hold General Elections 2019 using ballot paper. “Keeping democracy's larger interest in view, essential to look into EVM matter so that it gets resolved soon. We demand EC to hold the 2019 general election using ballot paper, taking this into cognizance,†the BSP president said.
The demand comes after cyber expert Syed Shuja on Monday at an event in London claimed that EVMs used by the ECI can be tampered with. "The latest revelations have made the doubts on the EVMs more serious. It is better under such conditions that the future elections, especially the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, are conducted using ballot papers. It's possible to validate ballot paper but it's not the case with EVM,†the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said.
Mayawati said the latest "revelations" are most sensational and expose the "conspiracy" of the BJP.
"This has directly put the BJP in the dock but the central government is unlikely to take any positive step to address the issue because of its egoistical and stubborn attitude," she alleged.
Mayawati pointed out that her party was the first to question the credibility of EVMs. Mayawati claimed that the people have also started to feel that their votes are being continuously "looted" in an organised manner.
The BSP chief said the people's apprehension over 'vote humara, raj tumhara' (our vote, your rule) needs to be addressed.
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