Lok Sabha Elections: A case has been registered against Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad in Manipur for sharing a fake video and making false claims regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the recent polling in the state. According to ANI, the case has been filed under Sections 120Β, 203, 505(1)(2), 171-C, and 171-E of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 123 and 136 of the Representation of the People Act (RP Act).
Awhad had shared a video alleging that women in Manipur had broken an EVM after discovering that pressing any button resulted in only the BJP's election symbol, the lotus, being printed. He called for immediate intervention from the Supreme Court, insinuating that BJP workers may have tampered with the voting process.
“In Manipur women broke the #EVM after they saw that after pressing any button they could see only lotus being printed A call for immediate intervention of Supreme Court Y does not it happen that #BJP workers get angry seeing some other party symbol being printed,” Awhad wrote on X.
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Post shared by Jitendra Awhad:
Manipur CEO issues clarification:
However, Manipur's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) refuted these claims, labelling the video as "fake news." The CEO clarified that the video depicted a case of mob violence at a polling station in Imphal East and that re-polling had already been conducted in that area on April 22, 2024.
“The video seen here is a case of mob violence in a Polling Station (3/21 Khurai Assembly Segment) in Imphal East and Re-poll has already been done in the said Polling Station on 22 April 2024. No case of mismatch on the button pressed in the Ballot Unit and Paper Slip generated through VVPAT has been alleged by anyone or found. Legal action is being taken up for spreading FAKE NEWS,” wrote the Manipur CEO.