NEW DELHI: In the wake of the Supreme Court rejecting pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted the verdict was a “tight slap” to the Congress-led opposition which must “apologise” for creating distrust against EVMs.
While most opposition parties remained silent after the verdict, the Congress said it will continue with its campaign on greater use of VVPATs to increase the public trust in the electoral process.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal welcomed the SC verdict saying it has exposed opposition parties which did not let go of any opportunity to “defame” the Election Commission.
The court on Friday rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, or VVPAT, saying, “blindly distrusting” any aspect of the system can breed unwarranted scepticism.
Addressing poll rallies in Araria and Munger in Bihar, Modi charged the opposition with trying to “steal” reservations meant for OBCs, SCs, and STs “for the sake of their favourite vote bank of Muslims.”
“When the Congress, the RJD and other INDI Alliance parties were in power, the poor, backwards, and Dalits used to be deprived of their votes through booth capture. With the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines, they are no longer able to play their old game. Hence, they committed the sin of creating distrust against EVMs,” the PM alleged in Araria.
“But today, the highest court of the land delivered a verdict … which comes as a tight slap to these parties,” he added.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the opposition was not a party, directly or indirectly, to the petition on VVPATs.
“We have taken note of the verdict of the 2-judge bench and our political campaign on the greater use of VVPATs to increase public trust in the electoral process will continue,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
Asked about the prime minister’s attack on the opposition, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that similar doubts against the EVMs were made by BJP stalwart LK Advani and advised the ruling party to start with him.
“So, in 2009, was Mr Advani misleading the nation? When he released the book of G V L Narasimha against EVMs, when Mr Advani was championing the cause of leading a protest against EVMs, was he misleading the nation?
“The Prime Minister should do a basic homework, instead of focusing on Nehru Ji, he should start focusing on Advani Ji. He will stop talking irresponsibly,” Khera said.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, the law minister said, “The Supreme Court in its decision said that the EVM system is all right, it’s credible and there cannot be any tampering with it. The Supreme Court has given a fabulous decision. We welcome this decision on behalf of the BJP.”
The decision has exposed the Congress and other constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, the senior BJP leader said.
“Once again, INDI Alliance and its constituents are in the dock. They always underestimated the Election Commission and defamed it. Going abroad, Rahul Gandhi defamed the Election Commission. Recently, Priyanka Gandhi raised questions on EVMs. They stand exposed today,” Meghwal said.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, when asked about the decision on the sidelines of a poll rally in UP’s Kasganj, urged the people to make the INDIA bloc victorious and do away with the EVMs.
“Two phases of election are over, we are now looking at the third phase of voting… I would like to say only one thing, make INDIA alliance, Samajwadi Party victorious, and remove EVMs…” Yadav said.
“The BJP is scared of the growing PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minorities) family. PDA is fighting for its rights and honour, BJP government has taken away jobs… It is a big fight and we will keep fighting,” he said.
Weighing in on the intensely debated issue that has long divided parties, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta on Friday delivered two concurring verdicts and dismissed all the pleas in the matter, including those seeking to go back to ballot papers in elections. It also maintained that “democracy is all about striving to build harmony and trust between all institutions.” (PTI)