Ravi Shankar Prasad Defends EVMs, Slams Opposition's Ballot Paper Push

Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader, defends electronic voting machines (EVMs) amidst opposition parties' calls to return to paper ballots. He argues that EVMs have been validated by court judgments and the Election Commission's assessments. Prasad criticizes the opposition for unsubstantiated claims against EVMs and the scrapped electoral bonds scheme.

In response to opposition parties advocating for a return to paper ballot elections, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has criticized the push, labeling it a regression to an era of booth capturing.

During a debate on election reforms in the Lok Sabha, Prasad highlighted numerous judicial endorsements of electronic voting machines (EVMs), underscoring their legitimacy. The former Union law minister reminisced about the Election Commission inviting parties to hack EVMs, a challenge that went unanswered.

He reiterated the efficiency and security that EVMs offer the electoral process, noting their successful use in five parliamentary polls since 2004. Furthermore, Prasad criticized the Congress for accusations of 'vote chori' without evidence and defended the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme as a step toward transparent electoral funding.