100 pc chances for hacking EVMs, says Chandrababu Naidu
Amaravati, Jan 26: Claiming that there were 100 per cent chances for hacking Electronic Voting Machines, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Saturday warned that democracy could not be sacrificed to hackers.
He demanded that the Election Commission of India either ensure VVPAT receipts were issued 100 per cent or revert to the old ballot paper system.
Addressing a meeting of Telugu Desam Party MPs here, he noted that anybody could misuse technology.
"It's easy to misuse technology. It is particularly easy for the one who writes the (software) programme.
The Election Commission is only a referee. It should not enforce a system on which there is no trust," the TDP chief remarked.
Stating that people were the main partners in elections, he said enhancing faith in the people was democracy.
"Political parties are only raising the people's demand.
Many parties are opposed to the EVMs.
Even developed countries have not been using EVMs and hence the EC should not exert pressure on using a system in which there is no faith," Chandrababu added.
He asked his party MPs to raise the issue in Parliament and oppose the use of EVMs in the ensuing elections.
Meanwhile, the TDP opposed the Centre's reported move to introduce a full Budget for the 2019-20 financial year.
Chandrababu asked his MPs to exert pressure on the Centre to make it introduce only a vote-on-account budget.
"It's wrong in a democracy for a government, which has a mandate (left) only for two months, to present a budget for the next 10 months as well.
That's an undemocratic way. This government is trying to take decisions that a new government ought to take," TDPP leader Y Satyanarayana Chowdary later told reporters.
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Mumbai family deaths: FDA finds no watermelon vendor in area to check for affected stock
Mumbai (PTI): The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
