PANJIM: Goans against EVM's on Monday submitted a memorandum to the State Election Office, signed by over one lakh people from the State seeking elections through ballot papers instead of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), even as police detained some of the activists.
Goans Against EVMs, a group of concerned citizens earlier held a public meeting at Azad Maidan, Panjim where they demanded that ballot papers be reintroduced for the elections. Former Margao chairperson Savio Coutinho, former Margao councillor Pratima Coutinho, former Chodan-Madel sarpanch Shrikrishna Haldankar, Rama Kankonkar, Tanoj Adwalpalkar, Anthony D’Silva, Xencor Polgi and others addressed the meeting.
The speakers demanded that polling through EVMs be stopped highlighting flaws in the machines and its susceptibility to manipulation. They strongly favoured traditional ballot papers.
After the meeting, the activists marched to the official resident of the Chief Minister at Altinho but were stopped by the police, who also detained some of the protesters.
Later, a delegation of protesters went to the State Election Office at Altinho and submitted the memorandum. Out of the total 11.50 lakh voters of Goa, statements with signatures of one lakh voters who did not want EVMs was submitted to the State Election Office.
The protesters claimed that Goa is the first state in the country to show opposition to EVMs in such a large number. The local coordinators of this movement also announced that the campaign against use of EVMs will continue.