Mired in controversy for attending the ‘EVM hacking’ event in London, Congress leader Kapil Sibal calls Law Minister R.S. Prasad’s allegations ‘mindless’.
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal Tuesday asked the Election Commission of India to order an independent inquiry into allegations made by a US-based ‘cyber expert’, Syed Shuja, who had claimed Monday that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were “rigged”.
“I am really surprised at the controversy, because what he said at the press conference may be true, or it may not be true. But what he said sounded like a sci-fi story,” said Sibal, whose presence at the London press conference where the expert made various claims against the BJP has attracted controversy.
“This is not about the BJP, not about the Congress, or any politics, or any political party. It’s about the foundation of our democratic structures, it is about the election process. This is about free and fair elections. Here is a man who has political asylum in the US. Why was he given political asylum? Someone has to find out.”
Sibal added: “He (Syed) said he worked on a project with the ECIL (Electronics Corporation of India Limited) in which 11-13 people worked. Now that’s something that can be verified from the ECIL itself. He says on a certain day, and he gives the date, 11 people were shot. This sounds unbelievable! If they were not shot, they should be there on the rolls of that project. Or if it’s over, they will be able to discover where they are.”
Also read: Kapil Sibal has made a habit of embarrassing the Congress
Law Minister’s comment ‘mindless’
Asked if the press conference was part of a grand conspiracy by the Congress, as alleged by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sibal replied: “See, if anybody makes an allegation like this, that ‘I was shot at’ or ‘11 people were killed’, what will the law of the Supreme Court say? Automatically, an FIR should be lodged.
“Saying it is a Congress conspiracy is a mindless comment, it has no logic to it. Instead of looking at these details and being concerned about the future of the country, and instead of the Election Commission wondering whether it is true or no, shouldn’t the government be inquiring?”
Asked if he had ever met Syed, Sibal replied in the negative.
Also read: EVM hackathon in London organised by Congress, claims Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ensure purity of Indian elections
On whether he was planning to file a case in an Indian court, Sibal said: “Who am I to file a case? I want purity of elections, and I want the Election Commission to ensure that. They want to file cases (against Syed), let them file cases. But their primary duty is to find out whether this man is telling the truth or not.
“Prime facie if you look at these claims, it is difficult to believe them. But the kind of details that have been given and the clarification that he has issued are mind-boggling. They can be easily corroborated. Now it is clear that he has an identity in the United States. It is clear that he was given political asylum. It is clear he has given the name of 11 persons. He has said exactly what happened, which guest house it took place in.
“The government of India should set up an inquiry and ask a sitting judge to find out whether what he is saying is true or not.”
But what if Syed’s claims are untrue? “Then they should be dealt with. If they are true, then also they should be dealt with.”
Asked what the government can do, Sibal said: “I just expect journalists of this country to investigate and the government of India not to start accusing people. We all should get worried about if this is true, be really worried… that’s all.
“Though he has made allegations against the BJP, I am not making any allegations. I am not as irresponsible as the Law Minister to make allegations against the Congress. I am saying this is serious and we want action to be taken to find out if this is true or not.”
Also read:Every Indian election since 2014 has been rigged, claims masked ‘US-based cyber expert’
regardless of the veracity or lack of it it is the duty of the government and the EC to remove any doubt and respond to various allegations once and for all. Making great pronouncements is the easier part of the job. Otherwise this will be a continuous game. The fact that Governments can supply false information to the SC does not help the credibility of the Government or of the EC. Especially since the goings on at the CBI and the role of the SC in all that. Amazing politicians . Amazing India
THIS IS TYPICAL BEFITTING TITLE OF ” CHOR MACHAYE SHOR”. CONGRESS HAS FIRST REAPED USED THEIR INVENTION OF MANIPULATED EVM IN LAST 4 STATE ELECTIONS NOW ON ROOFTOP SHOUTS EVM IS TEMPERED CAN BE.
THIS KAPIL SIBBAL BEING LAW BACKGROUND HATED TALKS OF MODIJIS ONE OF ACHIEVMENTS OF SWACHHTA AND TOILETS FOR VILLAGERS WHERE WOMEN WERE THE MOST SUFFERES.
BUT THIS SO CALLED HYPOCRET CLASS MAN FELT SO DISGUSTING DURING LOK SABHA RAJYA SABHA DISCUSSIONS FOR 10% RESERVATION ONE OF ANOTHER ACHIEMENTS OF MODIJI; THAT THIS GUY MADE FACE SO DISGUSTING LIKE THOSE POOR PEOPLE GOT BENIFITS FROM MODIJI R INSECTS AND HIS CONGRESS PARTY DO NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT TOILETS.
WHAT WE AS CITIZENS EXPECT?
THAT WAS THE REASONS WE EXPELLED THEM FROM BHARATS NAKSHA.
AGAIN DEVIL IS READY WITH OTHER DRAMAS. BUT I FELT BAD WHEN WE THE CITIZENS OF INDIA ELECTED OUR POLITICIANS P.M. THESE LOW THINLING OPPOSITION INSULTS US BY CALLING NAMES TO OUR HONBLE P.M. OF INDIA.
WE MUST IN 2019 AGAIN SHOW THEM THEIR CLASS.
JAI HIND JAI BHARAT.
First thing first. Why London was chosen for this abusured demonstration? Who gave and took the Indian EVM there? Was this demo machine was already manipulated?
Now the second thing. If just for argument sake, we accept that the EVMs used in 2014 elections were hacked, then it was the failure of the then UPA government, which was in power. If this is so, we can conclude that the then UPA government knew and facilitated and organized the EVM hacking, which somehow went wrong, I mean the other way. And helped BJP win instead of Congress. Hence this party is crying most on hacking. And those machines helped further NDA wins in subsequent elections. Then Congress mended it’s mistake somehow with the original hackers and gained to some extent on Gujrat and Karnatak. And it further succeeded in the recently held elections in three states. Now it fears that, may be Modi might have unearthed the truth and may use it in next General elections. (I am just arguing the hypothetical situation). Hence this dummy demo of hacking.
R. C. Goyel. Solan
First, produce the evidence and the prime accuser/ witness: Syed Shuja, who is happily sitting God knows where and is making totally unsubstantiated charges.
Not the LawMinister Prasad is mindless.It is the other way round- It is the Congress people like Sibal who have gone mentally berserk in their paranoid pursuit of fabricating every imaginable fantasy that comes to their minds in their despicable pursuit of inventing conspiracies to discredit Modi in order to defeat him in the next Lock Sabha election.
It is so pathetic!
Alexis Desouza