Ravi Shankar Prasad backs use of EVMs, says need to trust EC
New Delhi, Jan 25 : Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Friday backed the use of electronic voting machines (EVM) and said there is a need to trust the Election Commission and respect the sanctity of the institution.
His remarks came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora asserted that the EC would not be "intimidated or bullied" into giving up EVMs and going back to the era of ballot boxes.
On Monday, a self-proclaimed cyber expert had claimed the machines can be hacked and that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged.
Following his claims, several opposition parties have demanded the use of ballot papers in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
"I do not wish to make a political comment. I wish to say it with all respect that the same machine has shown the victory of my party (BJP) and also the defeat of my party. The same machine has shown regional players getting success time and time again," Prasad said.
He made these remarks at a National Voters Day event organised by the EC where President Ram Nath Kovind and CEC Arora were present.
The minister said the kind of trust the poll panel has shown in new technology backed by "most profound technical oversight is something we all need to respect".
He said the elections in India and the conduct of elections are being discussed globally. "We need to trust EC, respect the sanctity of the institution of EC," he said.
On Thursday, the Congress had said it sounds "strange" when the Election Commission presents itself as an advocate for EVMs.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the Election Commission has been entrusted the task to conduct elections and it should take the views of various stakeholders, including people and political parties, before arriving at such a decision.
"It looks strange and odd sometimes when the Election Commission presents itself and acts as an advocate of the EVMs," he had told reporters.
Addressing an international conference here on Thursday, Arora had said, "We are open to any criticism, any feedback, from any stakeholders, including political parties, because they are the biggest stakeholders. But at the same time, we are not going to be intimidated or bullied or pressurised or coerced into giving up these (EVMs and paper trail machines) and starting the era of ballot boxes."
Prasad's remarks on EVMs assume significance as the law ministry is responsible for answering questions in Parliament related to the EC. The law ministry is also the nodal ministry to handle amendments in election laws.
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'Godman' Kharat held in 8th sexual exploitation case; court denies police remand, sends him to jail
Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
