"Is EVM dead or alive?" PM Modi takes swipe at opposition

New Delhi, June 07: Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Friday took a dig at the opposition INDIA bloc and said that when the results were declared he was concerned if the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are 'dead or alive' referring to the allegations of EVM rigging.

He alleged that the opposition tried to blame the EVMs and thus weaken the Election Commission of India.

"When results were coming out on June 4, I was busy with work. Phone calls started coming in later. I asked someone, numbers are fine, tell me EVM zinda hai ki mar gaya (Is the EVM dead or alive). Before 4 June, these people (opposition) were constantly blaming EVMs and they were determined to make people lose faith in the democratic process of India.I thought they would take out the funeral procession of the EVM," PM Modi said while addressing the meeting of newly elected MPs of the alliance on Friday in Parliament.

"But by the evening of June 4, unko taale lag gaye. EVM ne unko chup kar diya (EVM silenced them). This is the strength of India's democracy, its fairness. I hope I won't get to hear about EVM for 5 years. But when we go into 2029, perhaps they will again harp about EVM. The country will never forgive them," he added.

He also targeted the Congress party and said, "Even after 10 years, Congress could not touch the figure of 100 seats. If we combine the 2014, 2019 and 2024 elections, Congress did not even get as many seats as BJP got in this election. I can clearly see the people of the INDI alliance were sinking slowly earlier, now they are going to sink at a fast pace."

PM Modi claimed that the country trusts only the NDA and added, "When there is such unwavering trust and confidence it is natural that the country's expectations will also increase and I consider this good."

"I had said earlier that the work of the last 10 years is just a trailer. And this is my commitment," PM Modi said. He also asserted to work with more speed, with more confidence, and in more detail without even a slight delay in fulfilling the aspirations of the country.

"We were neither defeated nor are we defeated. But our behaviour after the 4th shows our identity that we know how to digest victory. Our values are such that we do not develop frenzy in the lap of victory and neither do we have the values of mocking the defeated. We protect the victorious and we do not have the perversion of mocking the defeated. These are our values," he said.

Modi was today formally elected as the leader of the BJP, leader of NDA Parliamentary Party and leader of the Lok Sabha. Leaders of the NDA allies garlanded Narendra Modi.

"You can ask any child whose government was in power before the Lok Sabha Elections? He will say NDA. Then ask him who formed the govt after 2024, and he will say NDA...Pehle bhi NDA thi, aaj bhi NDA hai, aur kal bhi NDA hai'...Even after 10 years, Congress could not touch the figure of 100 seats," the PM said in his address.

He said that in terms of numbers in the history of coalition, this is the strongest coalition government.

"For me, all the leaders of all the parties are equal in the Parliament. When we talk about Sabka Prayaas, for us everyone becomes equal whether they are from our party or not. This is the reason the NDA alliance has been strong and moved ahead in the last 30 years," he said.

"NDA is a group committed to the nation first. It must have been assembled in the beginning after a long period of 30 years. But today I can say that NDA is an organic alliance in the political system of India and great leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Parkash Singh Badal, Balasaheb Thackeray...who sown the seed, today the people of India have watered the trust of NDA and turned that seed into a fruitful one. We all have the legacy of such great leaders and we are proud of it. In the past 10 years, we have tried to move forward with the same legacy, the same values of NDA and to take the country forward."

PM Modi also vowed to continue his efforts towards consenus as he called the NDA the most successful alliance.

"I assure the people of the country that the majority they gave us to run the government, it will be our effort that we will strive towards consensus and leave no stone unturned towards taking the country forward...NDA has completed around 3 decades, it is no ordinary thing...I can say that this is the most successful alliance," he said.

He also asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is synonymous to good governance.

"The NDA government has given good governance to the country and in a way, just saying NDA becomes synonymous with good governance. Poor welfare and good governance have been paramount in the focus of all of us," PM Modi said.

He also thanked the leaders of the parties in NDA for choosing him as the leader of the alliance.

Earlier this week, leaders of parties in the NDA held a meeting and passed a resolution to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader. According to sources, Narendra Modi is likely to take oath as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive time on June 9.