A video of BJP MLA Bakhshish Singh Virk making extraordinary claims on EVM manipulation has gone viral on social media platforms evoking angry reactions from the opposition, the Congress. In the viral video, Virk is heard claiming that regardless of whichever button a voter presses on the EVM, the vote will be cast in favour of the BJP.
Virk, the BJP MLA from Haryana’s Assandh assembly constituency, is also heard saying, “You will have to pay for a five-second mistake for the next five years. We will come to know where a person has voted. You should not have any wrong perceptions about it. Many people do not tell deliberately to whom they voted, but if you ask us who you voted for, we shall tell you that too, because Modi ji’s eyes are very sharp. Even if you press any of the buttons, all the votes will go to the ‘lotus’ (BJP’s symbol) as we have fixed a purza (part) in the machines (EVMS).” (Watch the video below)
The BJP MLA has now termed the video fake accusing his political rivals of having resorted to tampering to defame him. His comments evoked angry reactions from his political rivals. CPIM’s Md Salim wrote, “In the video, the BJP candidate & MLA Bakshish Singh Virk says that no matter which button is pressed on the EVM, the vote would go to the BJP. He even says,“We will come to know who has voted for whom, there should be no misconception about this”.”
Meanwhile, the video has left the Election Commission red-faced since the national poll body has always denied the allegations of EVM tampering.
According to news agency PTI, the EC has sent former deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi to Assandh constituency in Karnal ‘in light of the video circulating on social media.’
However, it’s highly unlikely that the national poll body will take any action against the MLA for his astonishing claims on the EVM. The video has surfaced just days before Maharashtra and Haryana went to polls.
? BJP MLA & candidate Bakhshi Singh : We don’t tell it anyone… But we even know who casted vote to whom… Press any button the vote will go to flower only/ to BJP only… We have fixed a ‘purza’ in Machine (EVM)… pic.twitter.com/GHAn2f6EGZ
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) October 20, 2019
Last week, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had tweeted saying that EVM meant ‘Every Vote for Modi’ and ‘Every Vote for Manohar.’ Realising its pitfalls, Khattar had deleted his controversial tweet.
Meanwhile, voting is underway in both Haryana and Maharashtra.
