Electronic Voting Machines Can Be Criticised Freely, Says Supreme Court

Source – news18.com

New Delhi: EVMs can be criticised freely. The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order, which had prohibited criticism of EVMs.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra stayed operation of the gag order issued by the Uttarakhand High Court in June.

The Court issued notices on an appeal filed against this order and held that the direction will remain stayed.

Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioner, told the Court that such a blanket gag order was unsustainable and impinged on freedom of speech and expression.

While hearing a petition against validity of the EVM challenge, the HC had noted that a systematic campaign (was) launched by political parties to tarnish the image of the Election Commission of India (EC).

“In the larger public interest,” the division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Sharad Kumar Sharma said, “restrain all recognised national political parties, recognised state political parties, other political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals from criticising the use of EVMs in the recently conducted elections…even by approaching the electronic media, press, radio, Facebook, Twitter… till decision of the election petitions.”

The Supreme Court will now hear the matter after six weeks.