Supreme Court to EVM Critics: 'Tampering Only When You Lose?' Rejects Plea for Paper Ballots

CHANDIGARH(The Uttam Hindu): A Spokesperson of Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab informed that, the Supreme Court of India today (November 26) dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed by evangelist Dr. K.A. Paul seeking physical ballot voting in India. Other prayers included issuing directions to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for at least 5 years if found guilty of distributing money liquor and other inducements during elections.

Appearing as petitioner-in-person, Dr. Paul at the outset submitted before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale: "This PIL, I have filed before he could complete, Justice Nath orally remarked, "You have filed PILs earlier. How do you get such brilliant ideas?" To this, the petitioner responded that he is just coming from the Global Peace Summit in Los Angeles: "I just arrived from the great success of the summit on Saturday. This PIL, we have about 180 retired IAS/IPS officers and judges who are supporting me...I am Global Peace President and I rescued 3,10,000 orphans and 40 lac widows. We have 5,000 widows in Delhi."

Justice Nath asked why he wanted to be involved in the political arena, and to this he responded: "This is not political. See, I have been to 155 countries and every country in the world, if you see has [ballot paper voting]. Every democracy in the world, if you see [has physical ballot paper]. Every country, 180 countries. Unless dictators, because they do not have elections. Like I have been to Russia with Putin, Syria with Assad and Liberia with Charles Taylor-got him out of prison. He is in prison now. His wife also attended the summit on Saturday. So, we are protecting democracy.

Dr. Paul further argued that Articles 14, 19 and 21 are in violation. He said: "Today is Constitution day, Your honour." To this, Justice Nath commented: "Very important day to hear this matter!." Dr. Paul continued his arguments that Article 32 allows him to approach the Court and present the facts. He pointed out, "The facts are very clear. Known to everyone but why there is no remedy? I have been there for 43 years in this humanitarian and political advisor to the Prime Ministers and Presi of the world. Even the last 6 Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers here including the present Prime Minister have attended my summit. Even you will be surprised, 18 political parties on August 8, New Delhi's Le Meridian supported this prayer.

What is the prayer? Let us follow the rest of the world. 180 of the 197 countries..." Justice Nath orally asked if he did not want India to be different from the rest of the world to which he replied: "Because there is corruption" Justice Nath refuted this claim and said: "There is no corruption. Who says corruption?" Dr Paul stated that he has evidence of corruption. He said: "Election Commission announced this year in June that they have seized nine thousand crore, more than one billion dollars, cash and gold. What is the consequence?...I have already met last three Election Commissioners and provided the proof." He added that let all the political parties file counter.

To this, Justice Nath remarked, "Political parties have no problem wito this system, you have a problem." Dr. Paul further claimed that money is distributed during elections. He added that one businessman, he does not want to name, 12 hundred crores he has given to all major 6 parties including Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. But to this, Justice Nath asked: "We never received money during elections. We have not received anything..." Dr Paul continued, "This recent election, I have seen mafia. I have been the police. Of course, just because I am respected by the police and others, they let me go. You might have heard, a PIL is filed in Supreme Court by some including Mr. Swamy where the MLAs went inside and literally broke the EVMs because of the unbelievable corruption...So, this is beyond imagination..Take expert Elon Musk who attended our summit.

He clearly stated in writing that EVMs can be tampered. Chandrababu Naidu, former CM in 2018 tweeted that EVMs can be tampered and now Jaggan Mohan Reddy, I have enclosed his tweets, that EVMs are tampered." JustiJustice Nath dismissed the PIL not before adding: "What happens is, if you win the elections, EVMs are not tampered. When you lose elections, EVMs are tampered. When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs can be tampered. Now, this time, Jaggan Mohan Reddy lost, he said EVMs can be tampered."