E-Paper
Congress's 'jhoot ki rani' swipe as NCPCR seeks action against Rahul Gandhi
The NCPCR has asked the Election Commission to initiate necessary action and inquiry into a complaint against Congress and Rahul Gandhi that alleges “children are being targeted and are made to participate in their campaign with a political agenda under the slogan ‘Bharat Jodo, Bachche Jodo’.”
The Congress on Tuesday accused National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) of working at the behest of the RSS after the apex child rights body asked the Election Commission of initiating action against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly "misusing children as political tools" during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh said these are efforts to derail the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"The NCPCR started by Dr. Manmohan Singh's Government has now become an RSS affiliate nothing less (sic). Pathetic efforts to derail Bharat Jodo Yatra," Ramesh said on Twitter.
The NCPCR asked the Election Commission to initiate necessary action and inquiry into the alleged misuse of children as "political tools" in Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra. The child rights body said it has received a complaint against Gandhi and the Jawahar Bal Manch for targeting children with political intentions.
"Since there is a prima-facie violation of child rights. Further, use of children as props to fulfil political agenda is child abuse which can have a severe long term impact on their mental health and is against is Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The commission thereby requests your good offices to look into the matter and have a thorough inquiry of the events and take necessary action against the political party and its members who have been mentioned in the complaint,” it said in its letter to the Election Commission.
Taking a swipe at NCPCR, Congress MP Jothimani shared a video of a child “waiting to welcome Rahul Gandhi with love and flower.”
“Hey childish commission #NCPCR this is a rainy morning.This child waiting to welcome @RahulGandhi with love and flower. Hundreds of children will standing with family like this throughout his way. Love begets love.”
To this, Jairam Ramesh added, “Childish Commission is directed by Jhoot kiRani (queen of lies),” in an apparent reference to Union minister of women and child development Smriti Irani.
(With PTI inputs)
