CEC says poll wrongdoing exposers will be protected

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat on Saturday assured that the identity of those exposing electoral malpractices through the commission's mobile app will be protected. The mobile app introduced by the Election Commission (EC) on a pilot basis in the recently held Karnataka assembly elections received 780 video complaints of electoral malpractices, he said. "We will take steps not to disclose the identity of persons who are sending such videos to the Commission. The mobile app empowers the common man to send complaints with evidences," Rawat said at an interaction organised by MCCI here.

The EC would ascertain the latitude and longitude of the place from where the video was sent and take prompt action. This system will be followed in every election from now on, he said. Asked to comment on complaints of tampering of EVMs by political parties, the CEC emphatically said "there is absolutely nothing to doubt the integrity of the system". "Such allegations against EVMs made by political parties are a means of seeking a scapegoat route," he said.

In a related move, the Chief Election Commissioner on Saturday, ruled out any possibility of bringing back ballot papers for elections and said that EVMs were being made a 'scapegoat' as the machines cannot speak and political parties needed to blame someone or something for their defeat. "There is absolutely nothing about the integrity of the system... However, time and again whenever there are eruptions on this, we clarify the issue," Rawat said.