CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal for violating the directions regarding the political campaign.
The complaint was filed by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. In a letter addressed to the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer, he said Badal used a child for his campaign during his ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’, a political campaign.
The letter states that on April 6, Sukhbir Badal, President of Shiromani Akali Dal, during his election campaign 'Punjab Bachao Yatra' at Raikot violated the directions and instructions issued by the Election Commission when he made a child raise slogans of ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Zindabad’ and vote for the Akali Dal. The party also submitted the videographed proof of the incident.
It said that this activity of the Akali Dal and Badal is also a violation of the mandate of the judgment of the Bombay High Court in its order dated August 4, 2014, in Chetan Ramlal Bhutada vs state of Maharashtra and others, which had stressed the need to ensure that political parties do not allow participation of minor children in any election-related activities.
All political parties and candidates are required to ensure strict compliance with the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended by the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016.
But Badal flouted not only the directions of the Election Commission but also the law that prohibits using children for political activities.