EVM row: Mamata wants all-party meeting

Banerjee showed reporters Subramanian Swamy's video clippings about his views on feasibility of tampering EVMs.

Kolkata, Mar 17: Amid the allegations of tampering of EVMs in the recent UP assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the Election Commission of India should convene an all-party meet to discuss the issue.

"Whether one would accept or not is absolutely their choice. But the Election Commission may call for an all-party meeting. Let it be discussed," said Banerjee.

Asked whether she would favour a probe into the charges of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines, she said," I have seen the Election Commissioner's version that there is nothing.. But I have also gone through a video tape of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy saying these EVMs can be tampered."

Banerjee showed reporters Swamy's video clippings about his views on feasibility of tampering EVMs. In the video clippings, Swamy is seen saying that the EVMs were made in Japan but ballot papers were used even there during elections because the machines can be tampered. Even countries like the US and Germany are using ballot papers instead of EVMs, the BJP leader was heard saying in the video footage.

Describing Swamy as 'very strong legally', Banerjee said, "What he has said is not wrong... he has not said anything bad.. I have not said anything but I think there can be an investigation in this."

Incidentally, Mayawati has accused the BJP of murdering the democracy, saying that the tampering of EVMs was responsible for her party's poor show in Uttar Pradesh.

PTI