EVM demo violated house rules, says BJP

What happened in the assembly on Tuesday was completely unconstitutional. A ‘fake’ man brought a ‘fake machine’ into the House, committed an illegal act.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj’s electronic voting machine (EVM) hacking demo in the Delhi assembly was in violation of House rules.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the party will lodge a complaint with Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and demand an enquiry on how an apparatus presented as an EVM was taken to the assembly.

“What happened in the assembly on Tuesday was completely unconstitutional. A ‘fake’ man brought a ‘fake machine’ into the House, committed an illegal act,” he said.

Former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh, who recently joined the BJP, and South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri were present at the press conference.

Singh said as per the conduct of Business Rules 261 (25), not even an MLA can enter the House with any non-listed or prohibited item. He took the example of the first assembly session in 2013 when AAP MLAs came for the session wearing their party caps.

“As per rules, no MLA is not permitted to carry any mobile phone, apparatus or electronic gadgets into the House. Taking note of their act and objection raised by the Leader of the Opposition in 2013, the Speaker directed the MLAs to remove their caps, which were prohibited items. Even a glass of water is placed on the table only with the permission of the Speaker. It is surprising that an elected member brings a ‘EVM’,” he said.

The BJP leader said the AAP government had constantly been violating the act for the last two years by holding special assembly sessions.