New Delhi/lucknow: Amid renewed demands against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Thursday asserted that the Election Commission will not be “intimidated or bullied” into giving up the machines and going back to the era of ballot boxes.
He also lamented that EVMs are being used as a “football” and some sections are doing a “motivated slugfest” over their use.
“However, I would like to make it very, very clear once more. In fact, it is not I, it is the entire ECI, it is the ECIs of the past, and it will be the ECIs of the future… we are not going back to the era of ballot papers,” Arora said.
“We are not going back to that era where we have ballot papers being lifted, musclemen being employed besides the delay in the counting and also too much harassment of polling staff on the ground,” he added.
The CEC made the remarks at an international conference on ‘Making our Elections Inclusive & Accessible’ here ahead of National Voters Day on Friday.
“We are open to any criticism, any feedback, from any stakeholders, including political parties, because they are the biggest stakeholders. But at the same time, we are not going to be intimidated or bullied or pressurised or coerced into giving up these (EVMs and paper trail machines) and starting the era of ballot boxes,” he said.
“Why have we made it (EVM) like a football, and doing a motivated slugfest over it,” he wondered.
His remarks came days after a self-proclaimed cyber expert claimed the machines can be hacked and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.
Delhi Police has since lodged an FIR against unknown persons and is investigating the case based on the complaint filed by the poll panel.
Following his claims, several opposition parties have demanded the use of ballot papers in the coming Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)
