Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, H S Phoolka today said all the electronic voting machines used with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system should be validated and asked Congress to support the party on the issue.
The incident of default setting of an EVM-linked with VVPAT to the BJP symbol during trial for Assembly bypoll of Bhind in Madhya Pradesh has vindicated the AAP's allegation that the EVMs were tampered with by the ruling party, he said.
"AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had brought the matter to the notice of Chief Election Commissioner of India but no heed was paid," he added.
Phoolka said that the AAP and the Congress had demanded use of ballot paper in the polls to the three municipal corporations in Delhi but the Delhi Election Commission had turned down the demand.
Terming it as "moral duty" of the Congress to support AAP for validation of all EVMs used with VVPAT in the Assembly elections, he said that alleged tampering of EVMs was bigger conspiracy to hijack the election system and a serious threat to democracy in India by the BJP.
Phoolka said that all opposition parties should take united stand on the issue to save the democracy.
He also reiterated the demand for use of traditional method of ballot papers in all future elections till the time the doubts about EVMs are cleared.
Phoolka also condemned the behaviour of State Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh who threatened journalists asking not to publish the matter of EVM fraud in the media.
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