Viral video: Assandh BJP nominee gets EC notice for EVM remark

Virk was heard telling people that EVMs were fixed and every vote will go in BJP candidate’s kitty

KARNAL:The election commission has issued a notice to BJP candidate from Assandh assembly constituency in Karnal Bakshish Singh Virk after a video of him went viral on social media in which he was heard saying that the electronic voting machines (EVMs)havebeentamperedwith and every vote would go to his party.

In the viral video, Virk, who is also sitting MLA from Assandh, could be heard telling people that the EVMs were fixed and every vote would directly go to the BJP candidate, even if it was cast to someone else. He is seen telling a small gathering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP will come to know who they cast their vote for.

Karnal returning officer Vinay Pratap Singh said that a notice has been issued to Virk and he has been asked to reply. He said the chief electoral officer, Haryana, and the Election Commission of India have also been informed.

Assandh deputy superintendent of police is also inquiring the complaint regarding the statement, he added. “We are also verifying the authenticity of the video,” he said. In another video message, BJP’s Karnal district president Jagmohan Anand and Virk have clarified that the video was tampered with and it was circulated by the opposition parties to spread false propaganda a day before the polling.

“The viral video is doctored and this is a conspiracy against the BJP candidate ahead of the polls. The original video is of 27 minutes and is also available on YouTube,” said Anand, adding some people from the opposition parties have circulated the doctored video. “We will reply to the election commission’s notice,” he he added. Congress candidate Shamsher Singh Gogi has raised questions over working of the election commission and demanded action against Virk.

EC APPOINTS ZUTSHI SPECIAL OBSERVER FOR ASSANDH SEAT

CHANDIGARH: Vinod Zutshi, a retired IAS officer of the 1982 batch, has been appointed the special observer in Assandh assembly constituency of Karnal district in Haryana, the election commission (EC) said on Sunday.

Zutshi, a former deputy election commissioner, was appointed by the EC as a special observer in the constituency, joint chief electoral officer of Haryana Inder Jeet said in a statement. Zutshi has been requested to proceed immediately to the constituency to take necessary corrective action and ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.He has earlier worked as the chief electoral officer in Rajasthan and as special observer to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tripura during the Lok Sabha elections 2019.