The Election Commission of India (EC) has warned political parties against using children for poll-related work.

“Political parties are explicitly directed not to engage children in any form of election campaign, including rallies, slogan shouting, distribution of posters or pamphlets, or any other election-related activity. Political leaders and candidates should not use children for campaign activities in any manner, including holding a child in their arms, carrying a child in a vehicle or in rallies,” the poll panel said on Monday.

The EC added that the prohibition extended to the use of children to create
the semblance of a political campaign in any manner, including their use through “poem, songs, spoken words, display of insignia of political party/candidate, exhibiting ideology of political party, promoting achievements of a political party or criticising the opponent political parties/candidates”.

“However, the mere presence of a child accompanied by their parent or guardian in the proximity of a political leader and who is not involved in any election campaigning activity by the political party, will not be construed as a violation of the guidelines,” the poll watchdog added.

Citing laws against child labour and a Bombay High Court judgment against the use of kids in political campaigns, the EC iterated that district election officers and returning officers would be responsible for ensuring the compliance of these laws.

The EC’s directive comes in the light of multiple complaints by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) against Opposition parties.

The child rights panel had asked the EC to act against the Congress for the presence of children in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022 and against the AAP and the undivided Shiv Sena last year for tweeting images of now-jailed former Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia interacting with schoolchildren.

The Congress had responded with a counter-complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi appearing with a girl wearing a BJP scarf and reciting a poem in a video publicised by his party.

Power to states to ban SIMI

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday gave powers to all states and Union Territories to declare the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) a banned organisation under the anti-terror law UAPA.

On January 29, the Union home ministry had extended the ban imposed on SIMI for another five years. On Monday, the home ministry said the Centre "directs that all powers exercisable by it under section 7 and section 8 of the said Act (UAPA) shall also be exercised by the state governments and the Union Territory administrations in relation to the unlawful association SIMI".

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT