Election Fee mentioned returning officer has filed a police case over the matter (Representational)
New Delhi:
The Election Fee at present admitted a cell phone of an “authorised individual” was utilized by the aide of a candidate “unauthorisedly” whereas votes had been being counted in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat.
The Shiv Sena’s Ravindra Waikar had received from this constituency.
In an announcement to the media, the Election Fee mentioned the returning officer has already filed a police case over the matter.
It was alleged that the cell phone had a functionality to obtain a one-time password (OTP) for unlocking an digital voting machine (EVM).
The EC mentioned the returning officer has issued discover to Mid-Day newspaper for “spreading disinformation concerning the EVM and creating doubts within the Indian electoral system.”
“There isn’t any OTP on cell phone for unlocking EVM as it’s non-programmable and it has no wi-fi communication capabilities. It’s a full lie being unfold by a newspaper, which is being utilized by some leaders to create a false narrative,” the EC mentioned within the press be aware.
“EVMs are standalone units with none wires or wi-fi connectivity with models exterior the EVM system… Safeguards embody conducting every little thing within the presence of candidates or their brokers,” the EC mentioned.
The EC mentioned the counting of Electronically Transmitted Postal Poll System (ETPBS) is finished in a bodily kind (paper poll), and never in an digital kind “as is being unfold by way of false narratives.”
@ECISVEEP@CEO_Maharashtra@priyankac19@mid_daypic.twitter.com/Ogn28YICoh
— DEO_MSD (@deo_msd) June 16, 2024
Quickly after the EC’s press be aware, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Priyanka Chaturvedi in a publish on X mentioned the returning officer’s motion raises extra questions. “Madam Returning Officer is implicating the election workplace additional slightly than carry transparency. Many extra questions come up from Vandana Suryawanshi jis convention slightly than get solutions concerning the method for Mumbai North West election outcome,” Ms Chaturvedi mentioned within the publish.
Madam Returning Officer is implicating the election workplace additional slightly than carry transparency. Many extra questions come up from Vandana Suryawanshi jis convention slightly than get solutions concerning the method for Mumbai North West election outcome.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) June 16, 2024
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress chief Prithviraj Chavan in a video assertion requested a number of questions on the newest EVM controversy. “After the June 4 incident, the FIR (first data report) was filed solely on June 14. Many questions stay unanswered. First, who allowed a cell phone to be delivered to the counting centre, and what was it getting used for? Second, from the place did this OTP matter come from? What’s it about…” Mr Chavan mentioned.
The EC’s press be aware comes on a day when the subject of EVM is being mentioned on social media around the globe, sparked by Tesla chief Elon Musk’s publish on his microblogging platform X about the potential for switching to paper ballots attributable to considerations over EVM hacking.
In India, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended the usage of EVM as a safe system, and criticised Mr Musk for doubting a self-contained, well-made expertise.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and alliance accomplice Akhilesh Yadav additionally joined the controversy, with each calling for scrapping EVMs in favour of paper poll.