New Delhi: Expressing serious concern over the possible tampering of electronic voting machines after elections in different phases, a PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court to ensure the safety and security of EVMs and to secure the same from not being tampered with during the post polling period.
M. Srinivasan President Tamilnadu Annal Ambedkar Law Association, in a writ petition pointed out that the first phase polling of Lok Sabha election was held on April 11 in different parts of our country, created widespread doubt in the minds of public regarding the fool proof functioning of EVMs.
He prayed to give suitable and necessary dir-ections to the Commission to ensure the safety and security of electronic voting machines and to secure the same from not being tampered with, during the post polling period.
A press conference was conducted by major opposition parties in New Delhi mentioning the unreliability of the EVMs and its possibility to tampering and malfunction. The only statutory and administrative check available to protect and preserve the confidence in the EVMs was in the hands of Election Commission of India but what is the ground reality is the very impartial functioning of Election Commission of India is at stake.
To substantiate allegations, the petitioner referred to reports about a letter written by 66 former bureaucrats and ambassadors to the President of India questioning the impartial functioning of Election Commission and also expressed their deepest anguish on the all time low weak knee conduct of Election Commission.
Considering the ground situation, the apprehension of this petitioner is about the post poll possibility of tampering with the electronic voting machines since it is possible to tamper the EVMs during post poll situations since the post poll period is a dark period in which EVMs have very less access to outer world except to an limited administrative functionaries.
The long gap between first phase polling and counting date is around 40 days and there gaps between different phases of polling days also. He therefore prayed to give suitable and necessary directions to the Commission to ensure the safety and security of electronic voting machines and to secure the same from not being tampered with, during the post polling period.
