Congress Opposing EVMs Rajiv Gandhi Introduced: Amit Shah's Counterattack

Electronic Voting machines were introduced in the country by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and it is his son and his party now that oppose them, Union  Home Minister Amit Shah said today in a blistering counter to Opposition allegations on EVMs. 

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Special Intensive Review of voter lists, Shah pointed out that it was also the Congress which won the first election held through EVMS. 

This was in 2004 when Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister. Ten years later, "when we won in 2014, they (the Congress) raised doubts," he added. 

His comments were a blistering response to Rahul Gandhi's no-holds barred attack of Tuesday. 

Gandhi had reiterated his allegation that the BJP is "directing and using" the Election Commission to damage India's democracy.

To make the point about democracy suffering, he  questioned why the Chief Justice of India has been removed from the selection panel for appointing the Election Commissioners.

"What motivation could there be to remove the CJI? Do we not believe in the CJI? Of course, we believe in the CJI. Why is he not in that room?" he said."I sit in that room. It is a so-called democratic decision. On one side, there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. On the other side, the Leader of the Opposition. I have no voice in that room. What they decide is what happens," he said.

Later, sharing a clip of his speech during a discussion on election reforms on social media platform X, Gandhi said on X, "India's public is asking these 3 very important and direct questions: 1. Why was the CJI removed from the EC selection panel? 2. Why was almost complete legal immunity given to the EC before the 2024 elections? 3. Why the hurry to destroy CCTV footage within 45 days?" "The answer is one - BJP is turning the Election Commission into a tool for vote theft," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

He has also called for providing machine readable voter list to all parties one month before elections, scrapping the law that allows destruction of CCTV footage after 45 days, giving access to EVMs, and changing the law that allows the Election Commissioners "to get away with whatever they want to do".