Raising doubts on the credibility of the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s father Nand Kumar Baghel has written to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting that elections in the country be held using ballot papers.
In the letter written to the President on Monday, he also pleaded for “euthanasia” if his demand cannot be fulfilled.
“All the constitutional rights of the citizens of the country are being violated. The three pillars of democracy — the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive — are being destroyed. The media is also working at the behest of these three....there is a sense of fear among citizens,” the letter stated.
The CM’s father heads the Rashtriya Matdata Jagriti Manch which creates awareness towards voting.
Right to vote
“The right to vote is the supreme right of democracy which is being executed through the EVMs. No nationally or internationally recognised institutions or governments have certified the EVMs as cent per cent accurate. By conducting polling using the machines in India, the constitutional right of my vote is being violated. There is no guarantee whether my vote is cast in favour of whom I pressed the button through the EVMs,” he said.
It is the constitutional duty and the responsibility of the Election Commission and the Central government to introduce such a transparent system of voting and counting in the elections which can be evaluated by the public, the voters, themselves. Many developed countries have adopted ballot paper, he said.
“In such circumstances when all my rights are being violated, then the very purpose of my life is getting lost, and my conscience is not allowing me to live any longer. Honourable President Ji, you have taken an oath to protect the Constitution, but my constitutional rights are not being protected, due to which I have no option but to die,” he said.
He urged the President to issue an order to conduct elections using ballot papers and said, “if ballot paper is not possible, then he should allow me euthanasia on National Voters' Day on January 25 this year”.
