‘Efficacy of EVMs has been testified time and again, even the Apex Court has upheld its use & process’
SRINAGAR: The Returning Officer (RO) 02-Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency has strongly refuted the allegation on the functioning of EVMs levelled by a senior Political functionary while addressing a public meeting in Srinagar recently.
In a statement issued here, the RO said that the use of EVMs and VVPATs in all the elections conducted by ECI including 2024 has been testified and verified by not only the ECI, general public but also the Supreme Court India.
He said that the literature available in the public domain on EVM including the latest updated FAQs (85 Questions) issued by ECI answers all reasonable and legitimate aspects of the use of EVMs adequately and comprehensively. He added the technical security features along with administrative safeguards defined by ECI, together make EVMs non-temperable, leaving nothing to chance, whether in manufacturing, storage, transportation or during use in elections.
The RO said that various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India have examined EVM–related matters threadbare and have concluded them by constantly reposing their faith on ECI EVMs. Even recently the Apex Court on 26th April, 2024 in its verdict have dismissed all the pleas seeking complete verification of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips and has instead strengthened the integrity of the election process with two additional directions which are being adhered to.
The Apex Court, he asserted, has held that the microcontrollers separately programmed by manufacturers in EVMs are “agnostic,” for they do not recognise political parties or candidates but only the buttons pressed by voters and if any unauthorised attempt to access the microcontroller or memory of the EVM is made, the Unauthorised Access Detection Mechanism (UADM) disables it permanently.
Accordingly, all the writ petitions/pending applications, including the applications for intervention were disposed of in the above terms.
The RO further added that the Election Commission of India have addressed all queries and detailed material including updated FAQs, EVM Manual, Powerpoint presentation on EVM, Status paper on EVM, legal backing of the EVM ecosystem and the judicial validation through various judgments of Supreme Court and various High Courts are available over a period of last 40 years.
He appealed to all sections of society not to believe in such allegations on EVMs made time and again by anyone as these are always found devoid of merit, rationality and logic.
