Dangerous allegation

Sir — This refers to the report, “EVMs hit AAP’s Punjab prospects: Kejriwal” (March 16). Those questioning the efficacy of electronic voting machines (EVMs), including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, are well within their rights to do so. But doubting the integrity of thousands of poll staff is unacceptable.

Tampering of EVMs at such a scale cannot happen without the involvement of thousands of poll personnel. For, every machine will have to be tinkered with individually and that is an enormous  task.

Rather than being gracious in defeat and conducting some soul-searching into the reasons, the bogie of EVM tampering raised by people who were rejected by the electorate, is a dangerous development. In the past, elections in many Indian States were rife with allegations of ballot-stuffing and booth-capturing. Irregularities were common then.

Politicians making wild allegations may be looking for a face-saving escape route, but the damage they do to the sanctity of the election process is incalculable.