EVM lookalike can be used to demonstrate any magic or tampering: EC

Noting an EVM look-alike can be used to demonstrate anything, the Election Commission on Tuesday dismissed the AAP's "so-called" demonstration of tampering of electronic voting machines.

Hours after AAP legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj used a prototype to demonstrate inside the Delhi Assembly how a voting machine can be tampered with, the poll panel said any EVM lookalike can be used to demonstrate "any magic or tampering".

"The Election Commission, through media, has learnt about a so-called demonstration of tampering of a 'look-alike' EVM. In this context it should be understood that it is possible for anyone to make any electronic gadget which looks like ECI's EVMs and demonstrate any magic or tampering," the Commission said in a statement.

"Very simply put, any 'look-alike' machine is just a different gadget, which is manifestly designed and made to function in a 'tampered' manner and has no relevance, incidence or bearing on the Commission's EVMs," it said.

"It is commonsense that gadgets other than ECI EVMs can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI EVMs will behave in the same manner," said the panel asserting its EVMs are "technically secured and function under an elaborate administrative and security protocol".

"Such so called demonstration on extraneous and duplicate gadgets which are not owned by the ECI, cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the Commission in its electoral process," it said.

The Commission also noted it has an all-party meeting, convened to discuss EVM issues and other electoral reforms, scheduled for May 12.

--IANS

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