BJP National Vice-President Ram Madhav Accuses Congress of Spreading EVM Misinformation

BJP national vice-president Ram Madhav on Thursday accused the Congress of spreading misinformation about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Election Commission to divert attention from its political failures. He alleged that the party was unable to digest the electoral successes of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was therefore attempting to create doubts about the credibility of India's democratic institutions. Madhav made these remarks while addressing a media conference at the BJP's state headquarters in Nampally, Hyderabad.

Questioning the Congress's credentials to speak about democratic values, Madhav recalled the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, during which democratic rights were curtailed. He also referred to allegations of electoral irregularities in Jammu and Kashmir during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said a party with such a political legacy had little justification for questioning the BJP and the country's electoral machinery.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Madhav maintained that the exercise was neither new nor politically motivated. He said the Election Commission had been carrying out such revisions as part of its responsibility to ensure the accuracy and integrity of voter lists.

According to him, the process was intended to identify and remove entries belonging to deceased persons, individuals who had shifted elsewhere and ineligible or illegally registered voters. He accused the Congress of distorting the exercise by claiming that 13 crore votes had been deleted, alleging that such statements were aimed at misleading the public and creating unnecessary apprehensions among voters.

Madhav assured that the BJP would support genuine voters and assist those whose names might have been inadvertently removed from the electoral rolls. He said the party would help eligible individuals complete the necessary formalities to restore their voting rights.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Ramchander Rao targeted the BRS, claiming that its leaders were uncomfortable with the successful Telangana visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He alleged that the previous BRS government had neglected Telangana statehood activists while members of the former ruling family enjoyed the benefits of power. Rao also claimed that the Central Government had provided more than Rs 13 lakh crore to Telangana over the past 12 years through various welfare programmes and development projects.