At a campaign rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the INDIA bloc of “creating distrust against EVMs” and urged them to apologise for casting doubts on the integrity of the electoral process. Modi spoke in Bihar’s Araria and Munger districts on April 26, following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of petitions seeking to replace electronic voting machines (EVMs) with paper ballots.
Modi claimed that EVMs have reduced electoral malpractices such as booth capturing, which he alleged were widespread when the Congress and its allies were in power. He hailed the Supreme Court’s decision as a “tight slap” to the Opposition, accusing them of undermining the Election Commission of India (ECI) and spreading mistrust about EVMs.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal praised the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating it affirmed the reliability and credibility of the EVM system and accused Opposition parties of trying to tarnish the reputation of the ECI. At a press conference in New Delhi, Meghwal said the judgment revealed the Opposition’s attempts to discredit the election process.
