New Delhi, Jun 17 (IANS): Janata Dal (United) on Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc over ‘needless controversy’ on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and accused them of ‘conspiring’ to cast a cloud over the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

Senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said that despite repeated clarifications over the purity and sanctity of EVMs by concerned departments, the Opposition has jumped the gun over Elon Musk’s wild allegations and is now trying to stoke fresh controversy.

“Election Commission has time and again clarified that the EVMs can’t be manipulated. The former IT minister also explained how the EVMs are custom designed and disconnected from the internet, not allowing any room for hacking,” KC Tyagi told IANS.

His remarks come on the back of Rahul describing the EVMs as ‘black boxes’ and claiming that there are concerns over transparency in the electoral process.

"EVMs in India are a black box, and nobody is allowed to scrutinise 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," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X on Sunday.

The JD (U) leader said that his party outrightly dismisses charges of EVM manipulation and said that Elon Musk’s statement was no gospel truth and that everyone has to fall for it.

KC Tyagi said that the free and fair polls were conducted, and nobody pointed fingers over it but after Musk’s statement, deliberate efforts are being made to stir controversy around the 2024 polls.

He also described the clamour over EVMs as a ‘natural outcome’ after suffering electoral losses and shared how Indira Gandhi’s 1971 poll victory invited a similar outcry.

On questions of Lok Sabha Speaker, the JD(U) leader announced the party’s unequivocal support for any candidate picked by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The election to the post of LS Speaker is likely to be held on June 26.