EC comes under fire for using children to transport EVM machines

Guwahati, May 22, 2019:

The election campaign this time witnessed a lot of promises by the ruling party as well as the oppositions. Among the promises made were the education of children, child right protection, and other assurances to look after the well-being of children. But after the elections have come to an end, a different scenario has popped up.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the Election Commission over the transport and storage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). The RJD leader posted a photograph on social media that showed children carrying the boxes containing EVMs.

Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi, “बिहार में EVM का Transportation बाल मज़दूरों के ज़रिए भी हुआ है। EVM चलकर मुज़फ़्फ़रपुर के होटल भी पहुँची जहाँ उसे मैजिस्ट्रेट की उपस्थिति में बरामद किया गया। नियमों के विपरीत अपंजीकृत वाहनों में वोटिंग मशीनों को ढोया गया।” (“Transport of EVM in Bihar is being done through child labor. The EVM also reached a hotel in Muzaffarpur, where it was recovered in the presence of a magistrate. Unlike the rules, voting machines were carried in unregistered vehicles.”)

Yadav's allegation came up after the allegations of as the Congress and other opposition parties allege that EVMs have been tampered with in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

It is to be mentioned that the opposition parties have been demanding tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency fearing discrepancy in any polling booth.

The opposition leaders have alleged that the EVMs have been “compromised” and “can be manipulated”, thus, there should be tallying of its figures with VVPAT slips.

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