‘Complete lie’: Congress on NCPCR’s allegations of ‘using children’ during yatra

In a tweet, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said the child rights body had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) oer the use of children by Congress through its department Jawahar Bal Manch. The child rights body has also issued a notice to Congress.

“Congress’s Jawahar Bal Manch running ‘Bacche jodo’ campaign. Children are being involved in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in an organised way. Congress is violating the law by misusing children. We have written to Election Commission to take action,” Priyank Kanoongo was quoted as saying by ANI.

“The elders are not listening to the Congress, so the party is using children as crowd mobilisers for Rahul Gandhi’s visit,” he said.

Priyank Kanoongo said it is for the election commission to recognise the matter.

The NCPCR chief said that the matter pertains to opening a political department for children below 18 years of age by “violating” the principles of the Constitution.

Congress responded to the NCPCR allegations, saying that they were lies. Jairam Ramesh said, “This is a complete lie, not expected from the head of a statutory body even given his RSS/BJP links. Obviously, he is following in the footsteps of those who tell him what to do. We have submitted a detailed memorandum to the EC on the NCPCR’s bogus complaint.”

Congress has also conveyed to the election commission that the party did not violate the Representation of the People Act during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. It further said that no child was used for campaigning. It also slammed NCPCR’s report as “frivolous” and “baseless”.

Congress also filed a counter-complaint against the BJP, alleging that the ruling party and its functionaries were “using children in a malafide and perverse way”.

(With agency inputs)