By Hazel Gandhi
A video purporting to show Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being transported in a vehicle is viral online with the false claim that it shows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaging in EVM fraud during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
BOOM, in its factcheck, found that the claims are false, the video dates back to 2022 and was taken during the Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh; it is unrelated to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The video shows multiple EVMs being recovered from the back of a tempo with a huge crowd surrounding it. It is being shared on X with a satirical caption that reads, "Long live EVM"
(Original text in Hindi: "EVM जिंदाबाद")
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FACT CHECK
BOOM found that the video was taken two days before the 2022 UP assembly elections and shows members of the Samajwadi Party catching a tempo full of EVMs in Pahariya Mandi, Varanasi.
Taking a clue from the location mentioned in the viral video, Pahariya Mandi, we ran a keyword search in Hindi for the original video. This led us to a video report by Navbharat Times shared on YouTube on March 9, 2022, titled 'Chaos over EVM found in Pahariya Mandi by SP workers, investigation revealed this'
(Original title in Hindi: Varanasi Pahariya Mandi में EVM को लेकर SP Workers का रातभर हंगामा, जांच में सामने आई ये बात)
The portion of the video from 1:39 matched the viral video.
The description of the video detailed how SP workers found EVMs in a tempo and alleged that they were being replaced. National President of SP, Akhilesh Yadav, had also addressed the incident in a press conference.
According to reports, more than 5,000 SP workers crowded outside the strong room at Pahariya Mandi on the night of March 8, 2022, over allegations of EVM rigging. Stones were also pelted at the vehicle of the zonal Assistant Directorate General of Police. A case was registered against more than 300 people under 16 serious offences, including attempted murder and obstruction of government work.
In a statement to news agency ANI, then Varanasi DM Kaushal Raj Sharma had clarified that the EVMs were being taken to UP College for counting training. "Counting workers' 2nd training is scheduled for tomorrow at UP College. 20 EVMs were being taken on a pickup van for hands-on training. It was stopped by some people, a confusion arose among them if they were polled EVMs," he had said.
He further explained that the officers present at the scene tried to pacify the crowd but because of the confusion, all candidates and officers were called for their satisfaction and shown that the EVMs being transported were for training purposes only.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh's official X handle also issued a clarification into the matter on March 8, 2022, and explained that the EVMs were being transported for training purposes to UP College.
The Assistant District Magistrate of Varanasi, Nalini Kant Singh, responsible for the maintenance and transportation of the EVMs was suspended. The Election Commission had admitted that proper protocol was not followed while transporting the EVMs.
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