In a swift response, the Election Commission of India (ECI) addressed widespread allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering. A video shared by Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav showed a former Maharashtra police official claiming the machines were compromised.

The ECI described these claims as baseless, pointing out they originated from Ranjeet Kasale, a suspended police officer. They assured the public of EVM’s stringent protocols and announced a report from the District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police would guide future actions.

An official investigation revealed that Kasale was not on election duty during the Maharashtra Assembly polls, with intentions to incite unrest. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against him for spreading rumors jeopardizing public peace.

(With inputs from agencies.)