'EVMs tampered only when you lose?' Supreme Court rejects plea seeking paper ballots

The Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in elections.

In Short

• Court says that claims of EVM tampering arise only when people lose elections
• Petitioner cites Elon Musk's claim of EVM hacking
• Court dismisses plea, says arguments lack consistency

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking the use of ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections. Rejecting the plea, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale noted that allegations of EVM tampering are made only when people lose elections.

"What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," the bench said.

The petitioner, KA Paul, said that reintroducing ballot papers was essential to safeguard democracy, and that EVMs are susceptible to tampering.

He said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had claimed that EVMs can be tampered with. He also cited Elon Musk's claim that EVMs can be hacked.

However, the bench said, "When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr Reddy lost, they say that EVMs are tampered with. When they win, they don't say anything. How can we see this? We are dismissing this," Justice Nath said, stressing, "This is not the place where you argue all of this."

Paul also requested the court to issue a directive to the Election Commission of India to disqualify candidates for at least five years if found guilty of distributing money, alcohol or other items to influence voters during the elections.

The court asked, "You have interesting PILs. How do you get these brilliant ideas?"

When Paul said that he was the president of an organisation which rescued orphans and widows, the court said, "Why are you getting into this political arena? Your area of work is very different."

The petitioner revealed that he had been to over 150 countries, following which the bench asked him whether those countries used ballot papers or EVMs. When he said that several countries had adopted ballot paper voting, the court said, "Why you don't want to be different from the rest of the world?"

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the EVM on Tuesday and demanded that ballot papers should be used for voting.

He also called for a campaign like the Bharat Jodo Yatra for return to the ballot paper voting, news agency PTI reported.