Complaint Against EVMs Baseless

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) The Election Commission has declined to act on a complaint about the working of electronic voting machines ''as the apprehension raised was baseless,'' Parliament was told today.

Bharatiya Janata Party Member S S Ahluwalia in the Rajya Sabha had asked whether complaints of manipulation of the EVMs in West Bengal elections were lodged and what steps were taken.

In a written reply, Law and Justice Minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj said the EC had acknowledged receiving a complaint from Mr Partha Chatterjee, a Legislative Assembly Member of West Bengal.

Mr Chatterjee had requested ''technical verification'' on the EVMs' working so that apprehension in the minds of West Bengal voters could be removed, the Minister said.

But he said ''no action had been takren as the apprehension raised was baseless.'' He said EVMs were introduced on the recommendation of national and state political parties after being technically evaluated by a government- appointed expert committee in 1989-90.

The committee unanimously held that the EVMs ''cannot be tampered.'' He said that since 1998 the EVMs ''have been continuously put to use in many election(s) till date and no instance of any kind of manipulation has come to notice setting aside all apprehensions.'' UNI MJ NK KN1934