On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition filed by KA Paul, seeking to bring back ballot paper voting in elections instead of the current use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). During the hearing, the Court raised questions about the motivations behind Paul's petition, especially given his background as the president of an organization focused on humanitarian work, including rescuing orphans and widows. Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale humorously asked Paul, "How do you get these brilliant ideas?" and advised him to focus on his charitable work rather than engaging in political matters.

Paul argued that EVMs could be tampered with and cited concerns voiced by political leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who have alleged EVM tampering following election losses, but not when they win. The Court pointed out this inconsistency, stating, “When they won, they don’t say anything. How can we see this?” The bench also dismissed the petition by emphasizing that this was not the right forum to raise such political issues.

In addition to questioning the reliability of EVMs, Paul had asked for a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates found guilty of distributing inducements like money or liquor to voters. The Supreme Court found this suggestion unusual, noting that Paul's concerns seemed more related to political affairs than his stated humanitarian objectives.

Paul also suggested India should adopt paper ballots like some other countries, including the United States. However, the Court expressed skepticism, questioning why India should "be different from the rest of the world."

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had reiterated that EVMs are secure and robust, dismissing concerns about tampering. In response to persistent questions about EVMs, Kumar emphasized the transparency and participation involved in India’s electoral process.