Former president Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday expressed his concern over tampering of votes in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls. In a statement posted on Twitter, Mukherjee said that the Election Commission must put to rest all speculations regarding EVM tampering.
“I am concerned at reports of alleged tampering of voters’ verdict. The safety and security of EVMs which are in the custody of ECI is the responsibility of the Commission,” Mukherjee says in the statement.
Mukherjee on Monday had praised the Election Commission for the “perfect” conduct of the Lok Sabha elections.
“There can be no room for speculations that challenge the very basis of our democracy. People’s mandate is sacrosanct and has to be above any iota of reasonable doubt,” he continues.
“A firm believer in our institutions, it is my considered opinion that it is the workmen who decide how the institutional ‘tools’ perform.
“The onus of ensuring institutional integrity in this case lies with the Election Commission of India (ECI). They must do so and put all speculations to rest.”
Please read my statement below.#CitizenMukherjee pic.twitter.com/UFXkbv06Ol
— Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) May 21, 2019
However, at a book launch the previous day, Mukherjee had had said that the Election Commission cannot be criticised and praised the perfect conduct of elections. He institutions are built over the years, and “only a bad workman quarrels with his tools... a good workman knows how to utilise these tools” in an apparent reference to individuals in the election body, which has repeatedly come under fire over allegations of favouring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of bias on multiple occasions this election season. Rahul Gandhi had said in a tweet that the Election Commission used to be “feared and respected”, but not anymore.
