Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa on Monday said computers and software were not casteist after an error in a voter slip triggered allegations of caste bias. The row erupted after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh questioned chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over a voter slip in which the name ‘Ramhit Yadav’ appeared as ‘Ram ne Yadav ko Maara’ (Ram hit Yadav).
“An unusual name, ‘Ram ne Sharma ko Maara’, is also present in the voter list of the recent legislative council elections. Acknowledging the error, Rinwa added, “Thank God that Ram did not hit a minority. Otherwise, besides being accused of casteism, we would have also faced allegations of communalism. He also warned that some forged voter slips had circulated on social media and were being shared by prominent individuals and established media outlets.
Computers/software are not casteist,” he said. The errors could have been corrected through the software’s editing feature, but some remained in the final electoral rolls, according to Rinwa. Another reported discrepancy, in which “B.Com” appeared in the field meant for a father’s name, was attributed to possible human error or negligence. In a separate post on X, the CEO said the reasons behind the unusual entries were being investigated and that steps were being taken to prevent similar errors. Rinwa said those responsible for forgery would face action under the law.
