Former Union minister Matang Singh today said that PM Narendra Modi, while seeking votes in the name of Pulwama martyrs in Varanasi on Saturday, has ignored the norms of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Singh, talking to the Pioneer on Saturday said that it was strange that due to lacuna in security common man and security personnel are losing their lives, but the PM, rather than providing security to the nation is patting his back.
He said that before this many BJP leaders had sought votes in the name of Balakot air strike and soldiers of the army and this is why the ECI had banned use of name of armed forces. Either Narendra Modi does not now about the ECI ban or he has ignored the decision of the ECI, said the senior Congress leader.
“I do not understand. Has the ECI closed its shop?” asked Singh.
The former Union Minister also said that the ECI has misled the Supreme Court on EVMs. “The Opposition parties have over the last few years consistently expressed fears of the manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and petitioned both the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. These parties have moved the apex court for a review of its last order on the VVPAT (voter-verifiable paper audit trail) slips that mandate the counting of five machines in each Assembly segment,” he said.
Singh feels the responses of the government, the ECI and the Supreme Court so far have been disappointing and that these suggest that the convenience of declaring the results on the counting day itself is “more important for them than the assurance that the result is not tainted”.
Singh gave his reactions in the backdrop of allegations that a large number of EVMs had malfunctioned in the first three phases of the general election and that voters were reluctant to file complaints because of a clause that says the complainants can be jailed if their claim fails a test vote. Even someone as closely associated with the law-enforcement process as a former DGP Assam HK Deka has said his vote went to an unintended candidate but he did not formally complain because of this clause, he informed.