Meghalaya man arrested for sharing video of EVM that showed votes go to BJP

A man was arrested in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district for allegedly sharing a video on social media which purportedly showed that any button pressed on an EVM leads to a vote in favour of the BJP, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor said on Saturday.

The man, identified as Bolong R Sangma, had on February 16 shared the clip, alleging that EVMs were manipulated, he said.

Sangma was arrested after the returning officer of Rongjeng assembly constituency filed a police complaint, he added.

A case was filed against him under IPC section 171G, which deals with false statement in connection with an election, Kharkongor said.

EVMs or electronic voting machines are tamper-proof and go to factory reset mode if any manipulation is attempted, he said, adding that numerous safeguards are present at every level.