Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said the Election Commission’s “point blank refusal” to engage with political parties on electronic voting machines (EVM) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) is a matter of grave concern for not just the INDIA bloc but for all the parties.

Ramesh, who is also the Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, made the statement in response to the EC’s letter to him on January 5 after he had sought an appointment with the poll panel for the leaders of the INDIA to put forward their point of view on the VVPAT.

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The EC had dismissed his concern over the VVPAT and reiterated its full faith in the use of the electronic voting machines in elections.

In his letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the MP on Sunday wrote, “I had made an express request for an appointment for the INDIA parties’ leaders with the Commission. I had even specified the agenda for the appointment discussion and suggestions on the usage of VVPATs for the upcoming elections. The EC’s response, while completely brushing aside our request for an appointment, has yet again failed to provide a substantive response to our queries and genuine concerns over EVMs.”

“Instead, the Commission has been repeatedly directing us to generic EC FAQS as the answer book for all queries in respect of EVMs and VVPATs. Yet, when we informed your Commission that our concerns remain unaddressed by the FAQs, your Commission, instead of offering clarification, labelled our queries as based on an ‘inadequate or incorrect’ appreciation of the FAQs and EVM resource material,” he said.

Ramesh, who is also the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications further said, “This illustrates and underscores exactly why we have been asking the Commission for an audience, to discuss these unresolved and legitimate queries. Your point blank refusal to even engage with political participants on EVMs or VVPATs, is a matter of grave concern for all political parties and not just those who belong to the INDIA alliance.”

Asserting that the poll panel is well aware that the pendency of any judicial proceedings pertaining to VVPATs does not bar it from discussing or hearing the suggestions of INDIA parties, the parliamentarian said, “In fact, there is no judicial order which restrains this Commission from meeting the INDIA parties’ leaders on the issue of EVMs or VVPATS.”

Noting that the request was made on behalf of the INDIA parties, Ramesh said, “INDIA parties commanded over 60 per cent of the popular vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Yet the Commission continues to deny these parties an opportunity to meet with it. This is most unfortunate and to put it very mildly, unprecedented.”

“Therefore, with the upcoming General Elections scheduled to be held soon, I once again respectfully request the Commission meet with a small delegation of INDIA parties and at least listen to what it has to say on the issue of VVPATS,” he reiterated.