EVMs will continue says High Court, Subramanian Swamy's plea rejected

New Delhi, Jan 17 (ANI): The Delhi High Court today refused to issue directions to the Election Commission of India on Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy's plea that either paper printouts be incorporated in electronic voting machines (EVMs) or paper ballot be brought back as the electronic machines were not tamper-proof.

Swamy, who had claimed that EVMs were not tamper-proof and lacked transparency, said the court directed the Election Commission of India to immediately begin a process of wider consultations to make electronic voting machines foolproof.

"The court observed this fast growing technological progress and the material I have brought on record, there is a case that it is possible to rig the electronic voting machines. Therefore, they have suggested that in such an important issue, the Election Commission should immediately begin a process of wider consultations and also urge the legislature, mainly Parliament, to go into this question in depth and decide whether electronic voting machine is capable of security breach," he told the media here after the court's verdict.

Swamy further said he was satisfied with the order, as it had given him the basis to pursue the matter further.

"They have given me enough room to now force the Election Commission to either give me what I want namely voter receipt or go back to ballot paper as Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Japan have gone back to," said Swamy.

"So, I am quite satisfied with this order. It has given me basis for pursuing the matter further without causing a major upheaval in the election process," he added.

Swamy had moved the High Court seeking its directions to the Commission that a paper trail be incorporated to record the votes cast through EVMs or the old system of paper ballots brought back. (ANI)