Modi attacks opposition for sowing doubts about EVMs | Latest News from India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the opposition for raising doubts about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying they were trying to make people stop believing in democracy and the democratic process.

“These people (the opposition) have decided to make sure that people stop believing in democracy and the democratic process of India. They have been constantly misusing the EVM. I thought they were going to pull off the EVM funeral procession. But on the evening of June 4 (when the Lok Sabha election results were announced)… the EVM silenced them. That is the strength of Indian democracy, its justice… I hope I will not hear about the EVM in the next five years. In 2029, they may again harp on the EVM… The country will never forgive them for this,” Modi said in his speech as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) passed a resolution appointing him as the leader of its parliamentary party.

Modi attacked the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for complaining to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court about transparency in the EVMs. “They have interfered so much in the working of the Election Commission. Outside the Supreme Court, there was only one party… those who do not trust democracy have used the Supreme Court to stop the electoral process. … They have attacked… (the ECI) so that the election results are not announced.”

He accused the opposition of trying to defame India. “This was part of a conspiracy.” He accused the opposition of reinforcing distrust in Indian technologies and democracy across the world. “This distrust in technology is not only evident in EVM but also in UPI (Unified Payments Interface). It is worrying that they are going around saying that democracy in India is dead…now the world will also be interested to know and understand the diversity, breadth and depth of Indian democracy…”