The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by evangelist KA Paul, seeking the reintroduction of the physical paper ballot voting system in India.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale rejected the plea, which raised concerns over alleged tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and proposed a return to paper ballots, citing practices in countries like the United States.

During the hearing, Paul argued that EVMs posed a threat to democracy and could be tampered with. He claimed that leaders such as Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had previously raised similar concerns.

The bench, however, dismissed the allegations, pointing out the inconsistency of such claims.

"When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr Reddy lost, they say EVMs are tampered. But when they win, there are no complaints. How can we take such arguments seriously? This is not the forum for these claims," the court observed.

Paul also cited concerns voiced by figures like Elon Musk regarding the potential vulnerabilities of voting machines. Beyond EVM-related issues, the petition called for stricter electoral practices, including disqualifying candidates for five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor, or other inducements during elections.

The court unequivocally rejected the plea, maintaining that allegations of EVM tampering lacked substantive evidence and that the Election Commission of India (ECI) already had robust mechanisms to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

PTI