'Even Tesla Car Can Be Hacked Then': Rajeev Chandrasekhar Claps Back At Musk Over EVMs

The debate over EVMs in India doesn't seem to be dying down. It has intensified following a recent exchange between former SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The slugfest began on Sunday after Musk called for "elimination of EVMs" on X and said that all EVMs can be hacked. This prompted Chandrasekhar to respond comparing EVMs to simple devices like calculators and toasters, which cannot be hacked due to their limited functionality.

"It (EVM) only counts the vote and stores the count," he said.

Chandrasekhar, representing the BJP, strongly refuted Musk's claims, suggesting that they were overly broad and inaccurate. Musk's claim that "all EVMs can be hacked" is widely inaccurate, he said.

He pointed out that if Musk's assertion were true, then by the same logic, Tesla cars can also be hacked. The BJP leader stressed that Indian EVMs are designed to be secure and resistant to tampering due to their simplistic design.

"While I respect Elon Musk and what he has achieved. I think he is factually incorrect in saying that anything can be hacked. A calculator or a toaster cannot be hacked. Therefore, there is a limit in terms of where this paradigm of hacking can extend. Elon Musk has not understood what the Indian EVM is. Indian EVMs do not lend themselves to being hacked because it is precisely a very limited intelligence device...He is factually wrong...To claim that there cannot be a secure digital product in the world is to then say that every Tesla car can be hacked," Chandrasekhar added.

This exchange sparked a significant backlash, with the Opposition seizing the opportunity to support Musk's viewpoint. The Opposition has categorically expressed skepticism regarding the integrity of EVMs, and now the tech billionaire's remarks have provided them with additional ammo to question the security of the electoral process in India.