SC expressed displeasure as the HC gives relief to the YSR Congress MLA who broke the ‘EVM’ machine
New Delhi – The Supreme Court banned YSR Congress MLA Ramakrishna Reddy from entering the counting centre in Andhra Pradesh. During the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, i.e. on 13th May, MLA Reddy threw the ‘EVM’ and ‘VVPAT’ machines on the floor at a polling station.
After registering a case in this case, MLA Ramakrishna Reddy petitioned the Andhra Pradesh High Court for interim relief. On 23rd May, while granting interim relief to the MLA, the High Court had asked the Police not to take action or arrest the MLA till 5th June. A worker of ‘TDP’ had approached the Supreme Court against this decision of the High Court.
Expressing displeasure over the High Court’s decision, a Supreme Court bench of Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice Sandeep Mehta on 3rd June, after viewing the video, said, “Throwing ‘EVMs’ on the floor is a mockery of the system.” If the High Court’s order granting interim relief to the accused is not stayed, it will mock the entire judiciary. What the MLA did, can happen again during the counting of votes on 4th June. We cannot allow the MLA to stay even near the counting centre, the Supreme Court clarified.