Niranjan files complaint to EC against PM Modi for ‘child’s participation’ in MP election rally

Hyderabad: G Niranjan, AICC member and chairman of the Election Commission Coordination Committee has filed another complaint with the Election Commission against prime minister Narender Modi for allegedly making children participate in a public election meeting at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

Niranjan has at least written six times to the commission against alleged MCC violations by PM Modi at multiple public meetings on the campaign trail.

"The Election Commission of India in its letter in February 2024 directed the political parties not to use the services of children and their participation in election-related propaganda or activities in any manner,” Niranjan said in the letter to EC.

The Congress shared a video of the meeting in which PM Modi could be seen drawing the crowd’s attention to a child holding a placard with the photo of the PM. “She is the voter for the year 2047,” PM Modi told the crowd which erupted in ‘Modi Modi’ chants.

The Congress leader also said PM Modi violated MCC guidelines by evoking religious sentiments. In the video, PM Modi could be heard asking the voters ‘if vote jihad will prevail or Ram Rajya in the country?’.

Niranjan’s earlier complaints include the PM’s speech in Medak where Niranjan said that the PM tried to exploit the people in the name of community and castes. Niranjan, senior vice president of the TPCC (Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee), had also filed a police complaint against Amit Shah Union home minister for allegedly using children in an election rally in Hyderabad.

Earlier, Niranjan said that he had written a letter to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar expressing surprise over the EC giving notice to BJP president JP Nadda but not to prime minister Narendra Modi over complaints of code violations by the party leaders.