AAP to meet EC to seek clarity over hackathon guidelines

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday criticised the Election Commission of India for imposing restrictions for hacking the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and said a delegation would meet the poll in two days to seek clarity on the June 3 hackathon challenge.

"Please don't place any restriction on political parties, and experts for proving that EVMs can be hacked. Give us the opportunity; we would tamper in front of your officers and camera. One cannot just chant mantra and hack the machines. The EC should let us operate them," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said.

"In the coming two days, a delegation of the AAP will meet the Election Commission to seek clarity on the June 3 challenge and would like to know how much leeway is being provided to the parties and experts to tamper the machines," he added.

 

Earlier today, the poll panel asked the Opposition parties and experts to prove that the EMVs, used in the Assembly elections, can be tampered with.

However, the EC put forth terms and conditions for the parties attempting to tamper the machines.

The EC said that only those parties, national and regional, that took part in the recently concluded Assembly elections can hack the EVMs

It asked each party to appoint three people to hack the EVMs.

The poll panel said that the EVMs need to be picked from its warehouses in Delhi at parties' own cost.

The EC said that if a party fails to report at the alloted time, without prior intimation or approval, their challenge shall be cancelled.

It said each political party will get to pick at least four EVMs of their choice from any four polling stations out of the five poll-gone states. The EVMs involved in the election petition or those sealed will not be allowed in the hackathon.

The poll panel said that if the EVM becomes non-functional after the tamper attempt or if the tamper result is same as the one put out by EC or if the challenger violates the rules-set, the challenge will be struck down.