New Delhi. In response to the allegations of EVM hacking in Maharashtra, the Election Commission held a press conference today, stating that EVMs cannot be hacked. The controversy arose when it was claimed that EVMs were being hacked using mobile phones. Returning Officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency Vandana Suryavanshi addressed these allegations in a press conference and said that such claims are completely baseless and no OTP is required to unlock EVMs. She stressed that EVMs cannot be connected to any device.
#WATCH Mumbai Suburban Returning Officer, Vandana Suryavanshi says, “No OTP is needed to unlock the EVM. There is no mobile OTP needed to unlock the EVM as it is a non-programmable offence…It has advanced technical features and there is no communication device on the EVM…It… pic.twitter.com/EEB4Cn4AlT
— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2024
Moreover, Returning Officer Vandana Suryavanshi issued a notice to a newspaper for spreading misinformation about EVMs and undermining the credibility of the Indian electoral system. She clarified that EVMs do not send any OTP to mobile phones as they are not programmable and do not have wireless communication capability. She accused some politicians of creating false stories using these baseless claims propagated by the newspaper.
Suryavanshi highlighted an incident at the counting centre in Mumbai North West constituency, where an aide of a candidate was reported to have used the mobile phone of an authorised person unauthorisedly. A criminal case has already been registered in connection with the incident. He reiterated that EVMs do not send OTPs to mobile phones, as they are not programmable and do not have wireless communication capabilities. He termed the newspaper report as a complete fabrication used by some politicians to fabricate false stories.
No possibility of manipulation
He further assured that EVMs are standalone devices with no wired or wireless connectivity to any external entity. Advanced technological features and strong administrative security measures are in place to eliminate any possibility of tampering. These security measures include conducting all activities in the presence of candidates or their agents, ensuring transparency and integrity in the election process.