Skip to main content

Civil society, political parties to hold EVM Hatao protest rallies on Quit India day


By A Representative
Representatives of social movements from 16 states have decided at a national consultation to hold massive long marches and nationwide protests on August 9, the anniversary of Quit India movement, against electronic voting machines being used during the polls. To be bannered “EVMs Quit India! EVM Hatao – Desh Bachao – Ballot Paper Lao!”
Held on July 14, the meeting focussed upon the EVM-VVPAT “fraud” being allegedly perpetrated on the nation, insisting, how the entire election process, including the Election Commission, has been “subverted.”
In a statement, the EVM Virodhi Rashtriya Jan Andolan, which proposes to organize the protest, said, the “unprecedented situation poses a grave risk to the very foundations of our democracy, our Constitution and our institutions because of the EVM-VVPAT.”
Quoting technical experts present at the consultation, the statement said, “The EVMs-VVPATs can be subverted and are clearly pre-programmable. They went on to affirm that the elections results were clearly manipulated and stolen.”
The experts included DrRahul Chimanbhai Mehta, Dr Ramesh Bellakonda, Dhananjay Shinde, Ravi Nair, and Adv Prasanna.
Senior politicians attending the consultation, Sanjay Singh (AAP), Rajendra Gautam (AAP), Nana Patole (INC), Danish Ali (BSP), Javed Ali (SP), Nilotpal Basu (CPM), Retd. Justice Kolse Patil (JDS) and D Raja (CPI), decided to support the call against the EVMs.

Comments

TRENDING

BRICS ends, but Bangladesh's empty chair says more than any declaration

By Nava Thakuria  The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit, hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 12-13 September 2026, has concluded with leaders formally adopting the New Delhi Declaration. The gathering, themed "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," drew Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders of the now 11-member bloc, along with heads of partner organisations such as ASEAN, the African Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. Diplomats had worked through the final hours to bridge differences — notably between Iran and the UAE over West Asian tensions — before the declaration was signed.

Swaminarayan, untouchability and the 'we are not Hindu' argument

By Rajiv Shah   Following my blog on why the Eiffel Tower authorities should take all the blame for giving in to the Swaminarayan sadhus ’ bizarre demand to “invisibilise” women, including its female staff, during their visit to the internationally renowned Paris tourist centre on September 5, an interesting comment by one of the top academics drew my attention to something I vaguely knew about one of India’s most powerful and richest religious sects.

BAPS, the Eiffel Tower and the curious silence on secularism

By Rajiv Shah   I was a little surprised to see how some of those whom I respect for taking a firm stand on patriarchal issues reacted to the manner in which they responded to the recent incident in Paris, in which women employees of the Eiffel Tower were asked to remain "invisible" on September 5 when 100 BAPS sadhus visited one of the world's top tourist destinations.