Lucknow: Following former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has also expressed doubts about the reliability of EVMs and urged for future elections to be conducted using ballot papers.
In a statement posted on his official social media handle, Akhilesh stated, “Technology is intended to solve problems; if it becomes the cause of problems, its use should be reconsidered. With concerns over EVM tampering emerging globally and technology experts warning about its risks, BJP needs to explain why they insist on using EVMs.”
He reiterated his party’s demand for conducting all future polls using traditional ballot papers.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had criticized EVMs in India, calling them a “black box” inaccessible to scrutiny. He highlighted concerns over transparency in the electoral process, emphasizing that unchecked institutions undermine democracy’s integrity and susceptibility to fraud.
The resurgence of the EVM debate was sparked by remarks from business magnate and investor Elon Musk, who advocated for discontinuing EVMs due to vulnerabilities to hacking by humans or artificial intelligence (AI).
‘टेक्नॉलजी’ समस्याओं को दूर करने के लिए होती है, अगर वही मुश्किलों की वजह बन जाए, तो उसका इस्तेमाल बंद कर देना चाहिए।
आज जब विश्व के कई चुनावों में EVM को लेकर गड़बड़ी की आशंका ज़ाहिर की जा रही है और दुनिया के जाने-माने टेक्नोलॉजी एक्सपर्ट्स EVM में हेराफेरी के ख़तरे की ओर… pic.twitter.com/evNAIxP4RG
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 16, 2024
