SRIKAKULAM: N Chandrababu Naidu, who is considered as a tech-savvy Chief Minister, on Saturday stressed the need for going back to the paper ballot in the elections to “save democracy” in the country.
Addressing the 10th Dharma Porata Deeksha in Srikakulam on Saturday, the TDP chief said it was not proper to entrust the future of the country with EVMs and a few programmers while stressing on the need for a debate on the issue.
“I am the first among the Chief Ministers in the country to promote technology, but in my opinion, paper ballots are better than EVMs in terms of credibility. Though voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) was introduced to bring in transparency, they have failed. It is better for us to return to the old system of paper ballot to determine the outcome of elections. Today, in developed countries, the paper ballot is being used as a trusted method for elections. They do not depend on EVMs,” he explained.
Pointing out at the latest order of the Ministry of Home Affairs allowing 10 security and intelligence agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt information on any computer in the country, the Chief Minister described it as an attack on freedom of the people. “If it is allowed, no one will have freedom. It is a threat to our freedom,” Naidu said.
In his more than hour-long speech, Naidu lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “betraying” the people of the State. “The TDP joined hands with the BJP to safeguard the interests of the State at that time. Modi at the feet of Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati promised to keep every promise made to AP at the time of bifurcation. He repeated the same in Nellore and Amaravati when he becomes Prime Minister, but finally he betrayed Andra Pradesh,” he said, while screening the speeches of Modi.
Lambasting YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister said the leader of ‘Kodi Kathi’ party celebrates the victory of TRS in Telangana, which is against giving special category status to AP.