AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday termed the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reject the opposition parties' demand of tallying VVPAT slips with EVM data before polling as unfortunate and alleged that the poll panel was acting at the behest of the NDA government.
"ECI had an opportunity to restore its declining credibility but unfortunately it has failed. It seems the ECI is following the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," said Singh.
Rejecting such a small demand by the opposition parties has proved that the EC will follow whatever the Modi government says, he added.
Referring to the questions raised by the BJP leaders on the efficacy of EVMs in the past, Singh said: "When the BJP was in opposition, the EVMs were faulty. But today when they are in power, EVMs are God for them."
Meanwhile, questioning the intent of the BJP for not supporting the opposition's demand, NCP leader Majeed Memon said: "Why is the BJP not supporting a demand which would have increased the faith of the common citizen in the election process?"
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, however, said that the opposition is trying to put the blame of their defeat on the EVM.
"Verifying VVPAT slips at the end has been the tradition. Why does the opposition want to change it? They want to put the blame for their defeat on EVMs and the Election Commission," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )