On June 16, 2024, Mid-Day published a sensational report that sparked controversy across political circles and the public. The article alleged that an unauthorised mobile phone at a Mumbai counting centre unlocked Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) using an OTP; it suggested that this tampering influenced the election results. The report implied that a relative of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar manipulated the voting process, leading to Waikar’s victory over his opponent, Amol Kirtikar.
Mid-Day claimed, “During the counting of votes through the EVM machine, the candidate Amol Kirtikar was ahead but when the votes on the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System were counted, Kirtikar lagged behind, eventually losing the race to Waikar.” The report tried to insinuate that the Shiv Sena candidate won because his relatives used a phone to unlock an EVM and an ETPBS by generating OTPs.
Following the publication of the report, attacks on the EVMs have resumed on social media. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi used the report to resume his attacks on EVMs.
On June 17, the Mid-Day newspaper admitted that their report on EVMs being unlocked by OTP was wrong. A clarification was published on the front page of the newspaper below the report that contained the statement issued by an Election Commission officer debunking Mid-Day’s report. In the clarification, Mid-Day said, “The report’ Waikar’s kin had a phone that unlocks EVM’ (pages 6, June 16) inadvertently erroneously mentioned that the accused person used his mobile phone to generate an OTP to unlock EVMs. The error is regretted.”
Furthermore, the clarification came only after the Election Commission of India issued a notice to the publication. Notably, neither Mid-Day has published any post on social media issuing clarification on the matter nor author of the original report, Shirish Vaktania, has issued any apology for the gross failure to confirm the information before publishing it. The last thing that Shirish “reposted” on X was the fake report he wrote. The report in which Mid-Day clarified it was fake was not reposted by him.
A trash story on EVM appears in Mid Day, of all papers, on a Sunday, when their circulation is least (people in Mumbai know what drives Mid Day’s sale). Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi jumps on it. Then they retract. Mid Day and Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi’s credibility is the same… pic.twitter.com/HC6A5LNnKF
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 17, 2024
The clarification only came after the ECI issued a notice to Mid-Day. Additionally, Mid-Day has not posted any social media clarifications, and the report’s author, Shirish Vaktania, has not apologised for the misinformation.
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