EVMs not tamper-proof, return to ballot paper system: RSS

"Can't EVMs be tampered with? Experts say that it (tampering with) is possible, though Election Commission has unnecessarily made it a matter of prestige," an editorial in the recent issue of RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser' said.

The Sangh said that if Election Commission believed that EVMs cannot be tampered with, there was no reason for it to feel troubled over conducting a test of the machine in public.

It said, "it is unfortunate that its expert P V Indiresan has adopted an unscientific approach over the issue (of testing of the machines) as if his views are the last word about EVMs and so there was no necessity to review or improve it."

The editorial claimed that voters across the world doubt EVMs. Countries like Netherland, Italy, Germany and Ireland, which initially adopted EVMs, have banned them because they believe that these can "easily be rigged".

It alleged that ruling party can tamper with the EVMs to achieve desired results in election. Expressing his agreement with the Sang's views on the issue, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said that EVMs have been in use during elections for last ten years and time has now come to ascertain its credibility. Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi says that EVMs are tamper proof and the machine has passed through rigorous tests.