Have been saying since 2003, I don't trust EVMs: Digvijaya Singh

Digvijaya Singh raises questions over EVMs, demands VVPAT slips to ensure voter trust. INDIA bloc seeks meeting with ECI.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh again raised questions over EVMs on Sunday and demanded that voters be handed over VVPAT slips that can then be put in ballot boxes.

Responding to a video raising questions about the use of EVMs in elections, Mr. Singh stated that he has been saying since 2003 that he does not trust EVMs.

"To whom I want to cast my vote, I don't even know where my vote has been cast. There is no such machine in the world in which a chip is inserted which cannot be hacked. Because the chip will follow the orders of the software embedded in it. You will type 'A' the software will say 'A' and only 'A' will be printed," he said.

"If you press 'panja (Congress' poll symbol)' on EVM, what will be printed if the software says 'lotus'? Panja or lotus? Now the matter comes to this that the VVPAT machine showed you 'panja' for 7 seconds, we went away happy but 'lotus' (BJP's election symbol) will be printed! You can watch this game on Rahul Mehta's video," Singh said in his post.

He said the Opposition's demand had been that elections be conducted through ballot paper, as is done in all developed countries.

"Counting will take some more time. So be it. But the public will believe that their vote went to the person they wanted it to. Today it is not even known. If @narendramodi ji and our Election Commission @ECISVEEP love EVMs so much then why don't they show the VVPAT slip, give it to us and we will put it in the ballot boxes," he said in his post in Hindi.

What is the objection to this, asked Singh and added that the INDIA bloc is asking for time to meet the Election Commission from August for this demand but "the Election Commission does not have time".