Children were not used for campaigning during Bharat Jodi Yatra, Congress tells EC

Slamming the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for filing “baseless” and “baseless” complaints, the Congress on Monday apprised the Election Commission that there was no violation of the Representation of the People Act. india couple travel And the children were not used for preaching.

A Congress delegation comprising General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, party’s social media chief Supriya Shrinate and senior leader Salman Khurshid met Election Commission officials to respond to a notice by the Election Commission on a complaint by the child rights body, NCPCR.

“We met the members of the Election Commission and informed them that neither the Representation of the People Act nor the Model Conduct has been violated during the Bharat Jodi Yatra. We fail to understand why the Election Commission has given us a notice on the complaint of NCPCR,” Mr Ramesh told reporters after meeting the Election Commission officials.

“People come in thousands on the streets and want to take selfies with Rahul Gandhi. This is not an illegal act, not an election campaign. Rahul Gandhi is not asking children to vote for the party.

“childish behavior”

Without naming NCPCR chief Priyank Kanungo, Mr Ramesh said since its inception in 2007, for the first time, the child rights body has been headed by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-BJP functionary. He said he had submitted a detailed document on the “childish behaviour” of the NCPCR and said that “only a painting competition was held and Rahul Gandhi participated in the prize distribution ceremony”.

“We have told the Election Commission that this is completely baseless. No law has been violated. Millions of people are coming, millions of children come to take selfies. The BJP has misused the children, the propaganda being spread and the language being used when Rahul Gandhi meets young children. [is there for everyone to see], Even the picture of Rahul Gandhi with his sister’s daughter was misused,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The Congress also filed a counter-complaint against the BJP, alleging that the ruling party and its office-bearers were “using children in a wrong and perverted manner”.

Days after the Bharat Jodi Yatra began on 7 September, the NCPCR initiated necessary action and investigation on a complaint from the Election Commission against Congress and Mr Gandhi for allegedly “misusing children as political tools” in the Yatra. was told to do.