The Congress on Wednesday wrote to the Election Commission (EC) alleging violation of the model code of conduct by Nitin Gadkari and the BJP during his Lok Sabha elections 2024 campaigning in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, the PTI reported.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe, in a letter to the Election Commission, has sought action against Nitin Gadkari, the BJP candidate from the Nagpur seat, and his party for allegedly involving children in poll campaign.

Atul Londhe has attached a video of a BJP campaign rally in support of Nitin Gadkari along with his complaint, as per the PTI.

However, the BJP rejected the Congress claim of poll code violation and maintained the opposition party is raising such issues out of frustration.

“The BJP and its candidate from Nagpur Nitin Gadkari, have been engaging in activities that blatantly disregard the regulations set forth by the Election Commission. Despite clear directives from the EC on the prohibition of involving children in election-related activities, the BJP and Gadkari have been using schoolchildren for their campaign,” Atul Londhe claimed, according to the PTI.

Children from a local school were used by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Nitin Gadkari for the party`s campaign rally on April 1 at Vaishali Nagar in Nagpur, the Congress spokesperson alleged, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

“The use of children in political campaigning not only violates the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016, but also goes against the judiciary`s directives, including a 2014 order by the Bombay High Court. Such actions by political parties not only undermine the integrity of the electoral process, but also jeopardize the rights, privacy and future of the children involved,” Atul Londhe noted, the PTI reported.

The Congress spokesperson alleged the BJP is attempting to influence voters by exploiting children in their poll campaign.

“This constitutes a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Hence, I urge you to take immediate and decisive action against Nitin Gadkari and the BJP for the serious violation of the code of conduct,” Atul Londhe said in the letter, as per the PTI.

The Maharashtra BJP dismissed the Congress allegations of poll code breach.

State BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “Congress leaders are making such allegations as they are frustrated and have no chance to win the elections. Such claims are made from a defeatist mindset.”

“The Congress party does not have strong points to counter (BJP) so they are raking up such issues. The Congress has already conceded defeat in the Lok Sabha elections,” Keshav Upadhye said, a PTI news report said.

(with PTI inputs)

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