New Delhi: The Election Commission today dismissed the ``so-called' demonstration of tampering of ``look-alike' Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) on the floor of the Delhi Assembly by the Kejriwal government. Taking cognisance of media reports regarding the so-called demonstration, the Election Commission said that it should be understood that it was possible for anyone to make any electronic gadget which ``looks-like' ECI EVM and demonstrate ``any magic or tampering.' ``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,' the Election Commission said in a statement here. ``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 because the ECI 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,' the statement said. The ECI said that it has already scheduled an all political parties meeting on May 12 for EVM issues and other electoral reforms.
The Status Paper on ECI EVMs is also available on the Commission's website, the statement said. AAP has alleged malfunctioning of EVMs and blamed the electronic machines for its defeat in the recent civic polls in the national Capital in which the party lost badly to the BJP which retained its control over three municipal corporations. The ECI has maintained that its EVMs cannot be hacked or manipulated. (UNI)
