Stern action against fake news , says EC over EVM hacking claims

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Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 11

The Election Commission of India has warned of stern action against fake news as five states gear up for assembly elections.

The election watchdog said it had ordered an FIR to be registered over a news article quoting former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) TS Krishnamurthy on EVM hacking.

The commission said it came to its notice that an old article about EVM hacking was being circulated on some social media platforms/internet, and added that that the news item dated December 21, 2017 “maliciously attributed that former CEC T S Krishnamurthy had opined that a particular party won assembly elections by hacking EVMs”.

The election watchdog said that this misinformation was previously debunked by the former CEC himself in 2018.

TS Krishnamurthy also issued a statement rejecting the claim.

“It has been brought to my notice that a fake news which had appeared in a Hindi newspaper quite some time back is being activated and re-circulated as if that I express doubts about the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machine, EVM, in the conduct of elections in India. This is utterly false and mischievous to circulate a wrong impression in the ensuing elections. I would like to reiterate that the EVMs are most credible and I have no doubt about its efficacy and reliability. Electronic Voting Machine is indeed our nation’s pride and that there cannot be any doubt whatsoever about its credibility,” the statement said.

The FIR has also been lodged under the IPC Section 500 (punishment for defamation) and Representation of the People Act 1951 Section 128 (maintenance of secrecy of voting), 134(breach of official duty in connection with elections), the statement said.

“Investigation has been initiated in this matter and stern action will be taken against the miscreants who have uploaded fake news to create wrong impressions about the election process,” it said.