National News

Scamster With Connections To Congress Leaders Booked For False Claims About EVM Hacking, Congress Supporters Share His Video To Claim MH Elections Was Rigged

December 2, 2024
The Commune

After the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a crushing defeat in the Maharashtra elections, a fresh controversy has emerged, with Congress supporters amplifying a video claiming EVM tampering by BJP-led Mahayuti. The video features Syed Shuja, a self-proclaimed cyber expert, who alleges he can manipulate votes in 281 of 288 Maharashtra Assembly seats using “frequency isolation” and mobile applications to alter EVM signals and pre-program machines to favor specific parties.

As part of this effort, Congress-friendly activists, journalists, and YouTubers have circulated the video featuring Syed Shuja, a self-proclaimed “cyber expert,” making dubious claims about manipulating EVMs in 281 out of 288 seats. Shuja alleges he can alter election outcomes through “frequency isolation” and specialized apps, demanding ₹52-53 crore to secure victories in 63 constituencies, despite EVMs being incapable of wireless communication.

The video, watermarked with Mumbai Tak’s logo, was shared on their X account on November 15 as part of a sting operation by India Today journalists. Posing as representatives of a political leader, they contacted Shuja to uncover his alleged methods of EVM manipulation. Despite detailing his so-called techniques, Shuja failed to provide concrete evidence.

Who Is Syed Shuja?

Shuja claims to have worked with the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) from 2009 to 2014 on EVM development. ECIL, alongside Bharat Electronics Limited, manufactures EVMs and VVPATs for the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, ECIL has categorically refuted his employment claims. Shuja also professes to hold a PhD in Mathematics from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and a BTech in Computer Science from Shadan College, Hyderabad—claims that remain unverified as no records exist of his education at these institutions.

In the video, Shuja alleges he was granted asylum in the US in 2018 after surviving an attack linked to his discovery of EVM tampering. However, there is no independent verification of these claims, his asylum status, or his current employment.

This is not the first time Shuja has made such claims. In January 2019, he participated in a press conference via Skype from London, attended by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, where he asserted that the 2014 elections were rigged in favor of the BJP. The Election Commission dismissed these allegations as baseless, lodging an FIR against him with the Delhi Police for spreading misinformation. ECIL also debunked his assertions, reiterating that EVMs are tamper-proof and cannot be wirelessly manipulated.

Despite being unable to present any credible evidence, Shuja’s resurfacing has provided Congress supporters with what they claim is “proof” of EVM tampering. However, it is evident that his false claims are designed to sow distrust in India’s electoral system. Shuja’s association with prominent Congress leaders further fuels suspicions about the political motivations behind these allegations.

Thus, Syed Shuja’s claims appear to be an elaborate hoax, aimed at undermining public confidence in the electoral process, with Congress supporters seizing the narrative to explain their electoral defeat in Maharashtra.

(With inputs from India Today and OpIndia)