‘If you win, EVMs not tampered; when you lose, EVMs tampered’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL that sought the reintroduction of ballot papers in place of electronic voting machines (EVMs), remarking that the machines are blamed only when one loses an election.

“What happens is, if you win the elections, EVMs are not tampered (with). When you lose elections, EVMs are tampered (with). When Chandrababu Naidu lost, he said EVMs can be tampered (with). Now, this time, Jagan Mohan Reddy lost, he said EVMs can be tampered (with),” Justice Vikram Nath said, presiding over a two-judge bench while dismissing the PIL by evangelist K A Paul. The comments came as Paul, arguing in person, cited tweets by Naidu from 2018 and some recent posts on X by Reddy alleging the possibility of EVM tampering following their defeat in the elections.

Paul introduced himself to the bench also comprising Justice P B Varale as president of Global Peace Initiative, an NGO based in the US and claimed to have “rescued 3,10,000 orphans and 40 lakh widows”. He said he had just returned from the Global Peace Summit in Los Angeles and that his PIL had the support of about 180 retired IAS or IPS officers and judges.

To a query from Justice Nath as to why he wanted to get into politics, Paul said his plea was not political but to protect democracy. He added that he had been to 155 countries and they all followed the ballot paper system. He submitted that “every democracy in the world…has physical ballot paper” and only those ruled by dictators do not have it. “I have been to Russia with Putin, Syria with Assad and Liberia with Charles Taylor-got him out of prison. He is in prison now. His wife also attended the summit on Saturday. So, we are protecting democracy,” Paul submitted.

Paul claimed that he had been in the humanitarian field for 43 years as an advisor to Prime Ministers and Presidents of the world. “Even the last six chief ministers and Prime Ministers here, including the present Prime Minister, have attended my summit,” he said, adding that 18 political parties have supported his prayer for physical ballots.

Justice Nath asked him why he did not want India to follow a different approach from the rest of the world. Paul responded that it was due to corruption in elections. Buttressing his argument, the petitioner said the Election Commission itself had disclosed recently that it had seized Rs 9,000 crore.

The petitioner also referred to Elon Musk’s statements that EVMs can be tampered with. The bench, however, was not moved and went on to dismiss the PIL.