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Make voting machines tamper-proof, exclude NRIs: Swamy
New Delhi, Feb 11: Expressing serious concern over possible misuse of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy today urged the election commission to make EVMs tamper-proof and exclude NRIs from the voters` list.
New Delhi, Feb 11: Expressing serious concern over possible misuse of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy today urged the election commission to make EVMs tamper-proof and exclude NRIs from the voters' list.
A chip in the EVMs that helps counting of votes can be tampered with, Dr Swamy told reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy and the two election commissioners.
He said that he urged the commission to ensure necessary safeguards against the misuse of the chips and the commission assured him that it would do the needful in this regard.
Arguing against inclusion of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in the voters' list, Dr Swamy said that the government had, at the time of announcing dual citizenship for NRIs, made it clear that they would not be given voting rights.
Granting voting rights to NRIs created legal problems. For instance, T T V Dinakaran became a Lok Sabha member from Periyakulam in Tamil Nadu despite being a Singapore resident as his name was included in the voters' list, Dr Swamy explained.
However, in the event of a legal case, Dinakaran maintained that Indian laws did not apply to him as he was a Singapore resident.
The Janata Party leader also wanted the election commission to provide the floppies containing the voters' list to political parties to help the voters exercise their franchise.
He said that he urged the commission to ensure necessary safeguards against the misuse of the chips and the commission assured him that it would do the needful in this regard.
Arguing against inclusion of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in the voters' list, Dr Swamy said that the government had, at the time of announcing dual citizenship for NRIs, made it clear that they would not be given voting rights.
Granting voting rights to NRIs created legal problems. For instance, T T V Dinakaran became a Lok Sabha member from Periyakulam in Tamil Nadu despite being a Singapore resident as his name was included in the voters' list, Dr Swamy explained.
However, in the event of a legal case, Dinakaran maintained that Indian laws did not apply to him as he was a Singapore resident.
The Janata Party leader also wanted the election commission to provide the floppies containing the voters' list to political parties to help the voters exercise their franchise.
Bureau Report