Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Advertisement
  1. You Are At:
  2. News
  3. Aaj Ki Baat
  4. Opinion | Aaj ki Baat Jan 21 episode: Rajat Sharma on why should all trust our Election Commission and our EVMs

Opinion | Aaj ki Baat Jan 21 episode: Rajat Sharma on why should all trust our Election Commission and our EVMs

The EVMs are not connected to internet, nor can they be intercepted during polling or counting in any manner.

Rajat Sharma Written by: Rajat Sharma @RajatSharmaLive New Delhi Updated on: January 23, 2019 15:47 IST
aaj ki baat evm hacking

Aaj Ki Baat - Rajat Sharma Ke Saath airs Monday to Friday 9PM

On Monday, a press conference was held in London by Indian Journalists Association (Europe) and Foreign Press Association, at which a person who called himself Syed Shuja, based in the US, alleged via Skype, that electronic voting machines used during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and during the assembly polls in Maharashtra, Delhi and UP were tampered with. 

The hacker, partly covering his face and using a fake name, claimed he had worked for five years in Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, that manufactures EVMs. He also alleged that former Union Minister Gopinath Munde was murdered soon after 2014 LS polls,  because he knew about EVM hacking. The man also claimed that EVMs, though not connected to internet, can be hacked using a military grade modulator on low frequency. He however refused to display the process live, citing security concerns. 

Some Congress leaders may find substance in Syed Shuja's allegations, but I believe the hacker's claims are fraudulent. He failed to hack a single electronic voting machine before the media. He named two persons who, he said, got the EVMs hacked, but they are no more alive. Nobody can crosscheck the veracity of this man's allegations. 

The man went to the extent of claiming that BJP won several elections by tampering with the EVMs, but in elections where the Congress and other parties won, he claimed that he and his associates intervened to "stop" EVM tampering. This is totally untenable. Moreover, the presence of a senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal at the press conference in London raises more questions. 

I fully trust our Election Commission of India, which had been using the EVMs manufactured by two public sector companies, ECIL and Bharat Electronics Ltd for the last several decades. These EVMs were used in many elections before 2014. The EVMs are not connected to internet, nor can they be intercepted during polling or counting in any manner. The best thing would be to ignore this man's allegations altogether. His charges do not hold water.

Watch the full episode here: 

Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9 PM

India’s Number One and the most followed Super Prime Time News Show ‘Aaj Ki Baat – Rajat Sharma Ke Saath’ was launched just before the 2014 General Elections. Since its inception the show is redefining India’s super prime time and is numerically far ahead of its contemporaries.

Advertisement

Read all the Breaking News Live on indiatvnews.com and Get Latest English News & Updates from Aaj Ki Baat

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement