Supreme Court Criticizes VVPAT Petitioners: Lok Sabha Election 2024, EVM, and VVPAT Under Scrutiny

The court has made a decision regarding the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Justice Dipankar Datta expressed doubts about the intention of the petitioning association and rejected their demand to verify all votes cast on Electronic Voting Machines with paper slips generated by the VVPAT machine. The court stated that there has been an increase in “certain vested interest groups” seeking to undermine the achievements of the nation. Justice Datta emphasized the need to prevent any attempt to discredit or diminish the progress of the nation.

The court also emphasized the importance of balanced perspective and meaningful criticism while rejecting blind doubt in the system. The ADR petition, along with others, sought cross-verification of votes and a return to ballot papers, citing discrepancies and manipulation concerns with the Electronic Voting Machines. The court dismissed the petition’s comparisons with other countries and highlighted the lack of data in the ADR petition. They expressed that rational scepticism of the status quo is desirable in a healthy democracy but cannot allow the entire electoral process to be called into question based on mere apprehension and speculation from the petitioners.