President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session of Parliament today
New Delhi:
Amid concerns raised by several opposition parties over electronic voting machines, President Droupadi Murmu today praised electronic voting machines in her address to the joint session of Parliament, saying “the misinformation campaign was unfortunate.”
He said EVMs were used in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls “to ensure the sanctity of the electoral process” and praised the Election Commission of India for holding the “world’s largest elections”.
“The EVM has passed all tests, from the Supreme Court to the people’s court, in the last few decades,” he said.
He was referring to the April 26 ruling of the Supreme Court in which it rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper voting system and full cross-verification of votes cast using EVM with a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
In his first hour-long speech to the joint session of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, he also mentioned the ballot papers that were used in Indian elections until the 1990s.
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“We all remember those times when ballots were snatched and looted,” said President Murmu.
‘Kashmir polls worthy of a response to India’s enemies’
President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
“A very encouraging aspect of this election emerged in Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley broke all the electoral turnout records of many decades,” he said.
“In the last four decades, we have witnessed low voter turnout amid lockdowns and strikes in Kashmir. India’s enemies continued to spread false propaganda on global forums, projecting it as an opinion on Jammu and Kashmir. But this time the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting response to every such element within and outside the country,” he added.
According to the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest voter turnout in a Lok Sabha poll in the last 35 years. The combined voter turnout at polling stations across the Union Territory with five Lok Sabha seats was 58.46 per cent this year.
“I also express my gratitude to the Election Commission of India on behalf of millions of Indians today. This was the biggest election in the world. Around 64 million voters performed their duty with enthusiasm and zeal,” President Murmu said.
‘The whole world is talking about the Lok Sabha elections in 2024’
In her speech, President Murmu also said that the entire world is talking about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“The world is witnessing that the people of India have elected a stable government with a clear majority, consecutively for a third term,” he said, referring to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA alliance that won the elections.
“This has happened after six decades,” he added.
Earlier this month, Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister for a record third term, equaling first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of three victories.
“The people of India have full faith that only my Government can fulfill their aspirations. Therefore, this 2024 election has been an election of trust in policy, intent, dedication and decisions,” the president said Murmu.