look news india
Jaipur, 28 November (HS). Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot reached Jyotiba Phule Memorial in Jaipur on Thursday and paid homage to social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule on his death anniversary. After this he sat near a tea stall located nearby and drank tea. During this, he met people to know about their well-being and also heard their complaints.
Here, while talking to journalists, he supported the questions being raised on EVMs and the questions being raised by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge. He said that the question is not about winning or losing the elections, but due to the unexpected results in Maharashtra and Haryana, people have started losing faith in EVMs.
In such a situation, the government should come forward to conduct elections through ballot paper without making it a prestige issue. He said that this is the demand of democracy that if the opposition says something, then it should be studied without making it a question of prestige. A survey should be conducted to find out what is the mood of the people of the country and what is in the public interest, so that democracy remains strong in the future.
He said that the case regarding EVM had gone to the Supreme Court ten years ago. Supreme Court ordered to install VVPAT in EVM. Why was this order given? If the machine was fine then Rs 15-20 thousand crores would have been spent on installing VVPAT. Why has this situation arisen? This means the Supreme Court must have accepted that machines can be tampered. At that time BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had gone to the Supreme Court. On the orders of the Supreme Court, VVPAT was also installed along with EVM.
Today, there is a perception among the common people that these machines are being tampered with. Having 99 percent battery charge at the time of counting after voting is also a big question mark. When big countries of the world like America and England have started conducting elections through ballot paper. Earlier, elections were conducted using machines there also. Why shouldn’t elections be held through ballot paper in our country, so that democracy can be strengthened and people’s trust can be maintained?
Gehlot said that nowadays many people do not go to vote at all. They are losing faith in EVMs. People wonder what they will do after going. You will vote for someone and it will go to someone else’s account, in such a situation what will you do after voting? Even if there are 2-5 percent such people then it is not appropriate. National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are saying that it should be considered. Like before, the government should come forward for elections through ballot paper. The government should not make this a question of its prestige. Earlier everyone including Lal Krishna Advani used to demand that EVMs should be abolished. Today we are seeing directly that unexpected results are coming in the elections.
He said that in Haryana, not only the general public but also the people of BJP used to say that Congress was winning the elections there. BJP leaders were assuming that Congress would win with an overwhelming majority in the results. All the exit polls and the entire media were assuming the same thing. But it turned out to be the opposite. Now something amazing has happened in Maharashtra also. These results have shaken the entire country. Maybe due to some reasons he polarized the elections. Ladli Behen came up with the plan, did the management, did anything, maybe they would have won, but the way the opposition parties have been wiped out, it is not appropriate for democracy. Now even those who earlier advocated EVMs are raising questions. Many people have been found who were earlier not in favor of EVMs being banned. Today they also ask whether there is something wrong with the EVM?
Gehlot said that Jyotiba Phule was a revolutionary personality at that time. When teaching women was considered a sin. He taught Savitri Bai. Savitribai educated women. Today the entire country remembers both of them. All political parties have started taking his name today. His ideas of social reform were not only revolutionary at that time, but are relevant even today. Ours is a country of 140 crore people. There is no other country like this, where people of different religions, thousands of castes and dialects live. It is important to inculcate this feeling of keeping this great clan together and maintaining love, brotherhood and goodwill among the entire countrymen. Only then will our country remain the leader in the world.