"EVMs as a Weapon? Maha Congress Warns of BJP’s 'Murder' of Democracy"
Nagpur (The Uttam Hindu): Continuing to take potshots at the government, Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA is attempting to ‘murder’ the Indian democratic system through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), here on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Patole said that the EVMs used in the Lok Sabha elections were not utilised for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, for which EVMs were allegedly brought here from Gujarat. “There is a gross misuse of EVMs. BJP members are sitting on the board of directors of the companies manufacturing EVMs. The EVMs deployed during the Lok Sabha polls were not used for the state Assembly polls and for this, the EVMs were sent from Gujarat,” contended Patole.
He again slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for “failing to exercise its constitutional powers” and alleged that all its operations are conducted at the behest of the BJP, “thus revealing their (ECI’s) mindset” – though the government and ECI have rubbished all anti-EVM allegations. Taking a swipe at the One Nation-One Election, Patole added that the BJP-RSS’ machinations to end the country’s democracy are evident by the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill brought before Parliament on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) legislators continued their strong protests for the second day against EVMs, the plight of farmers, the custodial death of a Parbhani Dalit man Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi in judicial custody, and the killing of a Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The MVA legislators of Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP) raised slogans and carried placards condemning the MahaYuti government, targeted the police for alleged atrocities in Parbhani and protecting the culprits in the Beed case, plus sought action against the officials concerned in both matters.
Amid the growing clamour from the Opposition, the Speaker said that the Parbhani matter would be taken up for discussion on Wednesday by the Assembly.
