Rattled by likely defeat, Oppn parties doubting EVMs: Shah

New Delhi: A day after 22 Opposition parties met the Election Commission (EC) and raised doubts over EVMs, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Opposition camp is rattled by its likely defeat and as a result is trying to disrespect the people’s mandate by questioning the democratic system of the country. The verdict of 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be out on Thursday.

He also pos-ed six questions to the Opposition parties, inc-luding why Opposition parties never raised the issue of pre-verification of VVPATs with EVMs when they won in some states and why they have become so aggressive on the issue after the exit poll predictions which shows Narendra Modi-led NDA retaining power at the Centre.

Joining Mr Shah on the issue, NDA ally LJP’s chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan dubbed the Opposition parties as “sour losers” and claimed that their “desperation” over the VVPAT issue was an indication of their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Attacking the Congress and other Opposition parties for raising concerns about EVMs, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that they want to “discredit” democracy as they are unable to digest “defeat of the dynasty”.

The BJP leaders’ attack on rivals came on a day when the Congress dubbed the EC as “Enfeebled Commission” after the poll body was learnt to have rejected the Opposition parties’ demand for pre-verification of VVPATs with EVMs while counting and said it was a “black day” for democracy.

Terming as “unconstitutional”, the Opposition parties demand that the EC change its counting protocol and count five random VVPATs before the EVMs, Mr Shah said any decision in this regard is not possible without an all-party consensus.

The BJP president, in a tweet, said the Supreme Court has given final shape to electoral process by hearing three public interest litigations (PILs) and asked if the Opposition is raising questions on the apex court.

Slamming the Opposition, Mr Paswan said, “I have been saying for many months now that when the Opposition heads towards defeat it starts complaining about EVMs.”

The Union minister said, “Those opposing EVMs want to drag India back to the time when money and muscle power decided elections. The Supreme Court has heard the issue four times already. They are now concocting stories in the face of impending defeat.”

Mr Naqvi said that the “glamour of victory and grace in defeat” should be two sides of the same coin for those who believe in democracy. The BJP leader said that the way the Congress and its allies are putting on a “horror show over their defeat”, makes it clear that these political parties want to make the country’s democratic and constitutional system a “means of convenience”.

He added that those political parties that are continuously trying to create an atmosphere of mistrust on EVMs had discussed the issue of credibility of EVMs and the election process for several hours in Parliament but had they failed to present any logic or fact against the EVMs.

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