Demanding President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene in EVM tampering issue, the 13 member delegation of opposition including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Left met him at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Opposition’s delegation was led by Congress Pesident Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.
The opposition also lodge their dissent over a range of other issues, including the Alwar lynching episode. Opposition including Congress has alleged tampering of EVM and is demanding to bring back VVPAT (Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail) in all the upcoming elections.
After meeting President, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Recent allegations of EVM tampering have raised questions on electoral process”.
“An environment of fear and hatred is prevailing across the nation. An attempt is being made to destroy of the secular fabric of India. The gau rakshaks, who are acting as extra constitutional elements, are being safeguarded and promoted by members of the ruling dispensation,” he added.
Key bills are being disguised as money bill to bypass and undermine the constitutional position of Rajya Sabha: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress pic.twitter.com/BlRu44D8N3
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 12, 2017
Earlier, several members of opposition parties had raised the issue of alleged tampering of EVM with the election commission. They demanded that in the upcoming elections should be conducted with 50 per cent use of VVPAT (Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail) and ballot paper.
Few days back Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had hit out at Election Commission blaming it for EVM tampering. Kejriwal had accused EC of bias and said that it its helping BJP to win elections and bring the party in power.
After the results of Uttar Pradesh elections came out and BJP won from huge votes, BSP chief Mayawati said that EVMs were manipulated.
EC has recently announced that before 2019 general elections that 9 lakh EVMs will be replaced with the advanced M3 machines which does not work if tampered with.
