Greece prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday hailed the Indian election system saying that the country’s poll system is an example that convincingly challenge any flawed notion that significant scale is a barrier to democracy.

While speaking at the 9th Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Mitsotakis said that India is an example of how democracy can deliver stronger economic growth.

“Elections here in India, convincingly challenge any flawed notion that significant scale is a barrier to democracy. You are an example to the world. An example which should be celebrated, a demonstration of how democracy can deliver stronger economic growth,” the Greek PM said at the concalve.

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. The foreign ministers, along with other officials from across the world enlisted the representation of several countries in the ongoing edition of the Raisina Dialogue that got underway in the national capital on Wednesday. The ninth edition of the conclave will conclude on February 23, Friday.

Mitsotakis’ comments came when the nation is bracing up for the 18th Lok Sabha elections which are slated to take place in March-April this year.

Meanwhile, several Indian opposition leaders have flagged the present polling system of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal have earlier criticised PM Modi’s remarks about BJP getting 370 seats in the upcoming elections and claimed that there is some secret hidden in EVMs.

Further, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha on Tuesday said that by giving the exact number of seats, the BJP will win in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, PM raised the doubts over the functioning of the EVMs saying, “If he (PM Modi) is saying that BJP will get 370 (seats in Lok Sabha elections) and NDA will be 400 plus. Does this mean the EVM is set?”

The opposition came down heavily on the issue of present poll system and the BJP-led government after the Supreme Court overturned the result of Chandigarh Mayor Elections.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had quashed the decision by Returning Officer Anil Masih, who declared BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar as Chandigarh Mayor on January 30.

The order of the apex court came as it found that the Returning Officer had deliberately defaced eight ballots that were cast in favour of Kuldeep Kumar so as to make them invalid.

(With inputs from agencies)