Ahmedabad collector rebuffs Hardik Patel, says 'no clarification needed on EVMs'

BHOPAL: Ahmedabad collector on Sunday rubbished all allegations made by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel's fresh claims on EVM tampering and said it doesn't call for any clarification as they are 'baseless'.

Ahmedabad collector, Avantika Singh said that if any clarification is to be issued then it will be issued by the Election Commission. "These are baseless allegations. I don`t think any clarification is needed. Even if any clarification is to be issued, it will be issued by the Election Commission," she added.

Hardik Patel has accused that 140 engineers were hired by a company to hack 5000 EVMs. "A company in Ahmedabad has prepared to hack the source code of 5000 EVMs through 140 engineers," alleged Patel in a tweet on Saturday night.

अहमदाबाद की एक कंपनी के द्वारा १४० सोफ्टवेर एंजिनियर के हाथों से ५००० EVM मशीन के सोर्स कोर्ड से हेकिंग करने की तैयारी हैं। — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 16, 2017

Earlier today, in a series of tweets, Hardik alleged that EVMs have tampered in several Patidar-dominated and tribal areas in Gujarat.

विसनगर,पाटन,राधनपुर,टँकारा,ऊँजा,वाव,जेतपुर,राजकोट-६८,६९,७०,लाठी-बाबरा,छोटाउदेपुर,संतरामपुर,साँवली,मांगरोल,मोरवाहड़फ,नादोद,राजपीपला,डभोई और ख़ास करके पटेल और आदिवासी इलाक़े की विधानसभा क्षेत्र में EVM सोर्स कोर्ड से हेकिंग करने का प्रयास हुवा हैं। — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 17, 2017

मेरी बातों पर सिर्फ़ हँसी आएगी लेकिन विचार कोई नहीं करेगा
भगवान के द्वारा बनाए गई हमारे शरीर में छेड़छाड़ हो सकती है तो मानव के द्वारा बनाई गई EVM मशीन में क्यों छेड़छाड़ नहीं हो सकती !! ATM हेक हो सकते है तो EVM क्यूँ नहीं !!! — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 17, 2017

Later in the day, he fired a fresh salvo at the BJP-ruled central government saying if ATM machines can be hacked, why can't EVMs?

मेरी बातों पर सिर्फ़ हँसी आएगी लेकिन विचार कोई नहीं करेगा
भगवान के द्वारा बनाए गई हमारे शरीर में छेड़छाड़ हो सकती है तो मानव के द्वारा बनाई गई EVM मशीन में क्यों छेड़छाड़ नहीं हो सकती !! ATM हेक हो सकते है तो EVM क्यूँ नहीं !!! — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 17, 2017

On Saturday, Patel had questioned Supreme Court's decision to reject Congress' plea, seeking cross-verification of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails with votes cast with Electronic Voting Machines and asked why they were used in the Gujarat elections.

"Why are VVPATs used in the first place? It is used for smooth counting of votes wherever there is a fault. I do not understand Supreme Court's stand on the issue," the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener told ANI.

Patel's statement comes a day after the apex court dismissed the Congress' plea seeking directions to the Election Commission (EC) to count and cross verify at least 25 percent of VVPAT with votes cast with EVM.

On December 15, the apex court said it found no merit in Congress' plea and asked that the Gujarat Congress could approach it through filing a writ petition for electoral reforms.It further maintained that electoral process in a democracy was of utmost importance and the Supreme Court cannot interfere only to allay apprehension of a party.

The voting for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly election ended on Thursday and counting of votes will be held on December 18.