After the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, a video is being widely shared on social media platforms in which it is being claimed that it is related to the incident of tampering of EVM, i.e. Electronic Voting Machine, it is being done by the political party to influence the outcome of the elections. Users also claimed that the video shows VVPAT slips being stolen.
In the investigation by Vishvas News the claim was found to be false. In the viral video, VVPAT is being taken out from EVM, and not being stolen. The entire process is being done as per the guidelines proposed by the Election Commission. According to the information, VVPAT slips are taken out from the machine, and kept safely sealed in black envelopes, so that the machine can be reused.
Claim:
Social media user ‘Adak Sukesh‘ shared the viral video and claimed that after the elections were held on 19th April, VVPAT slips were stolen from the EVMs even under complete security. In the video BJP workers can seen replacing the slips with the name of their candidate.
Check the archive version of the post here.
Other social media users too are sharing the video with the same claim.
Investigation:
This is not the first time that the video was widely shared with misleading claims, earlier too the video was shared with similar claims. Last year, the video was shared during the Vidhan Sabha elections in Karnataka and it was claimed that video shows people tampering the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs). It was claimed that the VVPAT was being removed from the machine and these slips were being destroyed, whereas according to the rules these should be safely kept for a year.
However, the video is that of the VVPAT being removed from EVM, as per the guidelines given by the Election Commission. The video does not shows the slips being destroyed or stolen. According to the Election Commission, these VVPAT slips are removed safely from the machine and kept in a black envelope. The entire process is recorded in a camera.
On 13th December 2022, an X user shared in a tweet informing that as per ECI instructions, after the counting is done, the VVPAT slips are removed from the VVPATs and are sealed in a black envelope. This is done so that the VVPATs can be used for the next election. The entire process is recorded. One copy is kept and other is sent to the concerned DEO.
Earlier, we had contacted Shefali Sharan, the then spokesperson of the Election Commission, she said that the viral video is related to an old incident and whatever is seen in the video is being done as per the established standards of ECI.
According to the Election Commission, Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held in a total of seven phases.
Conclusion: Viral video which is shared with the claim of tampering of EVMs and that of the VVPAT slips being stolen, is actually that of a routine process that takes place as per the guidelines of ECI, where the slips are safely kept so that the EVMs can be used again. Viral claims that slips were stolen by a particular political party after the first phase of General elections is fake.
(This story was originally published by Vishvas News, and republished by Lighthouse Journalism as a part of the Shakti Collective)
