India
Musk, in a post on X, suggested that EVMs should be eliminated due to potential hacking risks by humans or AI, even if the risks are minimal
Updated : Jun 16, 2024, 03:53 PM IST
Former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar strongly rebutted Elon Musk's remarks about electronic voting machines (EVMs). Musk, in a post on X, suggested that EVMs should be eliminated due to potential hacking risks by humans or AI, even if the risks are minimal.
Chandrasekhar dismissed Musk’s concerns as a "huge sweeping generalisation" without basis. He clarified that while such risks might be relevant in the US and other regions using standard computing platforms for "Internet-connected voting machines," this is not the case in India.
He stated, “Indian EVMs are custom designed, secure and isolated from any network or media - No connectivity, no bluetooth, wifi, Internet. ie there is no way in. Factory programmed controllers that cannot be reprogrammed.”
Musk responded briefly with, "Anything can be hacked."
Anything can be hacked
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 16, 2024
Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi sided with Musk, expressing his long standing scepticism about the inviolability of EVMs. Gandhi called them a "black box" and emphasised concerns about transparency and accountability in India’s electoral process. "EVMs in India are a 'black box,' and nobody is allowed to scrutinize them. Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability," he posted on X.