Mumbai, Oct. 13 -- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Sunil Tatkare on Tuesday defended the Election Commission amid the INDIA bloc's protest in Delhi over alleged electoral roll irregularities, saying that differences of opinion did not justify expressing distrust in an autonomous institution.

"The Election Commission is an autonomous institution. There can be differences of opinion, but that does not mean expressing distrust in an autonomous institution.

Referring to the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the outcomes of previous elections, Tatkare said criticism of the poll process had intensified after the Mahayuti's success in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

"Elections in 2009 were held using EVMs, and they were con...