AAP hacked 'look-alike' gadget, not our EVM: EC
NEW DELHI: Noting an EVM look-alike can be used to demonstrate anything, the Election Commission on Tuesday dismissed the AAP’S “so-called” demonstration of tampering of electronic voting machines.
Hours after AAP legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj used a prototype to demonstrate inside the Delhi Assembly how a voting machine can be tampered with, the poll panel said any EVM lookalike can be used to demonstrate “any magic or tampering”.
“The Election Commission, through media, has learnt about a so-called demonstration of tampering of a ‘look-alike’ EVM. In this context it should be understood that it is possible for anyone to make any electronic gadget which looks like ECI’S EVMS and demonstrate any magic or tampering,” the Commission said in a statement.
“Very simply put, any ‘lookalike’ machine is just a different gadget, which is manifestly designed and made to function in a ‘tampered’ manner and has no relevance, incidence or bearing on the Commission’s EVMS,” it said.
“It is common sense that gadgets other than ECI EVMS can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI EVMS will behave in the same manner,” said the panel asserting its EVMS are “technically secured and function under an elaborate administrative and security protocol”.
“Such so-called demonstration on extraneous and duplicate gadgets which are not owned by the ECI, cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMS used by the Commission in its electoral process,” it said.
The Commission also noted it has an all-party meeting, convened to discuss EVM issues and other electoral reforms, scheduled for May 12.
The AAP on Tuesday fielded Bharadwaj, a former minister, who brought a prototype of what looked like an EVM used by the Election Commission and went on to claim how codes embedded inside an EVM can be used to manipulate results. He did not name the BJP but provided enough hints to insinuate that the Bharatiya Janata Party was the beneficiary.
“I will show you how the machines on which the faith of democracy rests can be tampered with. An ordinary engineer like me with just 10-15 days of hard work can tamper with them to ensure that votes go only to one desired party or candidate,” he said in the assembly.
During the demonstration, Bharadwaj claimed that EVMS can be tampered with even after a mock test.
“Using codes embedded in the EVMS they can be tampered. Votes will go to a candidate in whose favour it has been rigged no matter which button you press,” he said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday dared the Election Commission to give EVMS to the AAP which he said will change their motherboards in 90 seconds.
Speaking to the media outside the Delhi assembly at the end of a day-long special session, Kejriwal said Saurabh Bharadwaj, his party MLA, an engineer, had shown how chip technology could be tampered with and how EVMS could be tampered with.
The day-long special session of Delhi assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution appealing to President Pranab Mukherjee and Election Commission to hold elections through paper trail equipped Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS).
NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP on Tuesday stepped up its attack on the AAP, while lodging a complaint with the Election Commission for the party's alleged involvement in corruption cases and seek its derecognition.
The saffron party's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, at a press conference, alleged that there were “gross discrepancies” in the figures of donation amount shown by the AAP in its affidavits, party website, and what it has declared to the EC.
Moreover, Tiwari with his delegation went to the Election Commission of India to meet the Commissioners AK Joti and Om Prakash Rawat, submitted a complaint letter regarding irregularities in the donation records of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Meanwhile, Tiwari has requested the EC to order a thorough inquiry in the matter as prima facie it is a clear case of violation of the Representation of People Act 1951 and Election Symbol (Allotment & Reservation) Order 1968.
“One private news channel has done an ‘expose on the AAP' when it comes to donations received by it. And, there is ‘huge difference in the figures shown in its affidavit and what the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has told the EC,” he alleged.
“And, discrepancies exist in donation figures for both years, 2013-14 and 2014-15,” Tiwari said. The Delhi BJP chief, read out figures, quoting from the channel's claim. “So, in 201314, the AAP showed a donation amount of Rs 50.64 crore in the affidavit, Rs 19.82 crore on its party website, but to the EC it told that the figure stood at only Rs 6 crore. “We wonder if this missing amount was routed in the corruption cases against the party that its own (sacked) Cabinet minister has highlighted," he alleged.