Won't participate in EC's EVM hackathon 'drama': AAP

Terming the Election Commission's EVM-hacking challenge from June 3 a "drama", the AAP on Friday said it will not participate in the event.

The party also questioned why the poll panel was "running away" from organising a no-holds-barred hackathon, as promised.

"This is not a hackathon. Why participate in a drama," Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi Convenor Gopal Rai said, adding the party will "not accept the EVM challenge in its present context".

AAP's decision came a day after the Election Commission rejected its demand to reconsider the terms for Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) hackathon and allow them to attempt tampering of an EVM motherboard during the challenge.

Friday is the last day for the political parties to nominate their representatives for the EVM challenge.

"Today (Friday), we again wrote a letter to the Election Commission to request them to allow an open hackathon," Rai told the media here.

"Why is the Election Commission running away from organising a no-holds barred hackathon, as promised? Why is the EC not ready for an open hackathon to safeguard the electoral process," Rai asked.

He said there are "no rules and regulations" in a hackathon as hackers are invited to test the security of any system using any available tool.

"Such ethical hacking is to help understand the loopholes. What the EC is offering is only a visual inspection," Rai added.

Another AAP leader Dilip Pandey said that several technocrats also wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and requested for an open hackathon.

--IANS

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