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.