India’s Election Commission on Sunday surprised everyone when it shot off a strongly-worded letter to Aam Aadmi Party asking it to introspect why it had lost Punjab instead of questioning the authenticity of EVMs.
The Aam Admi Party is free to file an election petition in the state high court if it wants to verify votes cast in Punjab polls with data of paper trail, the Election Commission said.
It added that it was for the AAP “to introspect as to why your party could not perform as per your expectations and it is unfair on your part to attribute unsatisfactory poll performance of your party to the alleged tamperability of EVMS.”
However, the intemperate language used by a constitutional body did not go down well with many politically neutral journalists on social media. What many found baffling was the language of the ruling BJP used by a constitutional body, which was expected to function as neutral.
The party had moved the Election Commission (EC) over reliability of the machines and the results of Punjab polls.
AAP had won 20 seats out of 117 in Punjab assembly polls and emerged as the largest opposition party. However, the number fell way short of Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of winning 100 seats.
EVMs had come under scanner once again after a report on the machine malfunctioning in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district in the presence of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer. The video of machine favouring the BJP had gone viral prompting the EC to launch a probe and order the removal of both the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police.
Fresh allegations have been levelled against the EC that the faulty EVM favouring BJP was the same machine that was used in UP’s Govindnagar during last month’s polls. The BJP had won from this constituency.
Suspicions are being raised on the integrity of two election commissioners, Achal Kumar Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat. While Jyoti worked in Gujarat government as a close aide of Narendra Modi, the then chief minister, Rawat had previously worked as principal secretary in Madhya Pradesh’s BJP government.
Who r Election Commissioners of India?
Achal Kumar Jyoti, Ex Guj CM's close officer &
Om Prakash Rawat, Shivraj's ex Prnspl secy
Read – pic.twitter.com/tzCuszBltI— ASHUTOSH MISHRA (@ashu3page) April 2, 2017
In light of the EC’s response on Sunday, social media users wondered if this was the best the Election Commission could reply in response to serious allegations of EVM tampering.
I said on several occasions that EC had become toothless. This language of BJP by a constitutional body is a new low. Who needs EC and why? https://t.co/dbeq8IUzQE
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) April 2, 2017
Brazening it out like this only adds to the suspicion. Just why is the EC not doing a transparent investigation into the truant EVMS?? https://t.co/trt6NhW6Ju
— Chander Suta Dogra (@chandersuta) April 2, 2017
Election Commission's role shud b to (only) assure the credibility of EVMs.Not to advise politicial parties to introspect on electoral fails
— Tinu Cherian Abraham (@tinucherian) April 2, 2017
With all due respect, the EC should certainly say what it has to on EVMs but since when have they started giving political advice?
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) April 2, 2017
Is this the EC or BJP response to AAP? The lines are so blurred now.. https://t.co/BnHaAUGvEg
— Maneesh Chhibber (@maneeshchhibber) April 2, 2017
Same EC was quick to order FIR against Delhi CM over allgd bribery remark, but took weeks to issue merely a notice to Parrikar over the same https://t.co/fTevytMJPE
— ASHUTOSH MISHRA (@ashu3page) April 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/Airavta/status/848567079322046466
हैरान मत होइएगा
भिंड में EVM का जो मामला सामने आया है यही मशीन UP चुनाव में इस्तेमाल की गयी। सत्यदेव कोई और नहीं योगी सरकार के मंत्री है। pic.twitter.com/cLm6VLjbHI
— Neha Bagga (@BaggaNeha) April 2, 2017