On Wednesday, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, a former Congress leader, criticized Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent call for a return to ballot paper voting instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Kharge, in a statement on Tuesday, advocated for a shift back to the traditional ballot paper system.
He further urged Rahul Gandhi to spearhead a campaign to raise awareness about the issue, similar to his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’
Kharge raised concerns that EVMs were wasting the votes of poor and marginalized communities. He further urged citizens to unite in demanding a return to ballot papers.
In response, taking to X, Acharya Pramod Krishnam posted, “The result will be “just” as expected, Lord, Congratulations on your “Stupidity”.
In February, the Congress party expelled Acharya Pramod Krishnam for making ‘anti-party remarks’, according to an official statement.
Kharge made these comments during his speech at the ‘Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan’ event, which held to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution.
He stated, “We should all unite and move forward together and push them aside. I do not wish to speak about elections, but I would surely say the votes of all the poor and oppressed communities are going to waste. They should all demand voting by ballot paper.”
Apologies for the misunderstanding. Here’s the revised headline in active voice:
When You Lose, You Claim EVMs Are Tampered With; When You Win, You Say EVMs Are Fine: SC
Kharge made his comments on the same day the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a return to ballot paper voting.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected a PIL asking the Election Commission to replace EVMs with ballot papers.
Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale dismissed the plea, citing concerns over the alleged manipulability of EVMs.
The Supreme Court remarked, “When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine,” in response to the petitioner citing statements by Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy on EVMs.
The Court added, “When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr Reddy lost, they say that EVMs can be tampered with; when they win, they don’t say anything. We are dismissing this. This is not the place where you argue all of this.”
In March, the Supreme Court dismissed a similar PIL asking for the government to hold Lok Sabha polls using ballot papers.
The Court told the petitioner, the General Secretary of the Congress’ Mathura District Committee, “How many petitions shall we entertain? We cannot go by assumptions. Every method has its plus and minus points. We cannot entertain this.”
Kharge’s statement comes after the Congress faced a major defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The historic loss of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has led to widespread discussions about whether Congress is becoming a ‘liability’ for its smaller and regional allies in states.
This theory has gained support from several voices within the Opposition.
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