Bengaluru, Dec 21: A Karnataka minister today alleged that the Election Commission of India has been reduced to "a puppet" at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s hands and emphasised that it should pave way for public scrutiny of EVMs. 
The Congress government in Karnataka is writing to the election commission with suggestions on electronic voting machines, state minister for information technology and tourism Priyank Kharge said.
However, the ball is in the court of the election commission whether to agree or not, he said.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, the minister said, "We are ready for our suggestions and even experiments. But the moot question is whether the election commission is ready."
He said the election commission has to agree with the state's proposal first.
"The election commission has been reduced to a puppet at the hands of the Union government. Even, the Centre has to agree with it (the proposal)," the minister said.
Kharge said the EC can make use of the techies and experts in Karnataka to test the EVMs.
He clarified that he is raising the matter, not because of upcoming Karnataka assembly polls but because EVMs are used from the panchayat level to Lok Sabha polls.
Kharge referred to reports claiming that a candidate contesting the municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh could not get his own votes.
He said Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel in Gujarat too had expressed reservation on the EVMs.
The kidnapped schoolboy was rescued by the police and reunited with his parents. Son of a gift shop owner from Basavanagudi area in Bengaluru, Chirag has reportedly told police that decided to make some quick money to spend on cricket betting and gambling after learning kidnap tricks from the ‘Crime Patrol’. According to police, Chirag reached a private school around 3pm on Tuesday on a Bounce rental bike and zeroed in on a fourth standard student who was walking out of school. He told the boy he was his father's friend and that he required help to search for a relative who had gone missing. The boy believed Chirag and rode pillion on the bike. Chirag then engaged the boy in conversation and learnt about his father's business and got his mobile phone number. He then made a call to the boy's father, demanded Rs 5 lakh and warned him against approaching cops. However, the boy's father alerted Cottonpet police and special teams were formed to crack the case. While Cottonpet inspector Venkatesh TC's squad verified CCTV footage in and around the school, Chamarajpet inspector BG Kumaraswamy's team started tracking the suspect's mobile phone movements. An hour later, the suspect's location was traced to a hotel on the Lavelle Road-St Mark's Road stretch. Police rushed there, rescued the boy and arrested Chirag.
Comments
This Minsiter is 100 correct in stating that EC is acting on the advice of Union Govt and not ready to hold election through ballot paper instead of incorrect EVM. These EVM has favored bjp in all the elections. Its unfortunate that Union Govt and EC are not ready to hold electrion on ballot paper inspite of knowing the truth and agitation from various opposition parties. Why do they love EVM so much? EVM is not being used in any country as every one knows that it can be malfunctioned and it so happed in india. Union Govtr and EC are giving incorrect and false statements that EVM cannot be malfunctioned but it is cleared shown with proof that EVM can be malfunctioned. However, these people are not ready to accept the truth. Its really a shame and shows that they are fooling public and can go to any level to win electrion.
Add new comment