Lok Sabha Elections 2024: On Allegations Of EVM Tampering, CEC Responds With Shayari, 'Wafa Khud Se Nahi Hoti..'

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajeev Kumar announced the dates of Lok Sabha elections on Saturday and sought to rubbish allegations of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) being hacked during elections.

Kumar invoked a poetry to defend EVMs claiming they are non-tamperable and 100% safe. He said "adhuri hasraton ka ilzaam har baar lagana hum par theek nahi, wafa khud se nahi hoti khata EVM ki kehte ho".

Kumar stressed that the EVMs were 100% safe and undergo mock polls thrice before being installed on the day of polling, that too in front of candidates. He said there are many who allege EVMs are hacked despite the election results going in their favour.

"All parties know in their hearts EVMs made poll process fairer and better; same EVMs have seen ruling parties lose..Courts looked into various complaints against EVMs 40 times and rejected all charges every time," Kumar emphasised.

Kumar criticised those sitting on social media and levelling false accusations on the EVMs. He "said courts have started levelling penalty against those who mischeviously allege the EVMs were tampered.

The CEC highlighted that several, including small, political parties coming into existence because of the fairness of the EVMs.

Last year in September, The Election Commission of India (EC) assured the Supreme Court that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can neither be hacked nor tampered with. In its affidavit comprising of 450 pages, the EC said EVMs are “totally stand-alone machines having one-time programmable chips”.

The affidavit stated the Election Commission has put in place “stringent technical and administrative safeguards for EVMs to ensure machines cannot be tampered or manipulated to any extent whatsoever”.

The highly-awaited 2024 general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19. The counting will be held on June 4.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for Lok Sabha and four state Assembly elections.