TN: DMK petitions CEO over use of children in Modi roadshow

Chennai: The District Education Officer (DEO) for Elementary Schools in Coimbatore has taken the management of the Sri Sai Baba Vidhyalaya Aided Middle School in Coimbatore to task for making its students participate in the election campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

While the DEO had sent a notice on Tuesday to the school demanding an explanation and action against the headmaster and staff who accompanied the students to the election roadshow, the DMK organization secretary R S Bharathi had raised a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, Satyabrata Sahoo, alleging violation of the model code of conduct.

The DMK had also sought action against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her remarks made on March 16 at the Music Academy, which the party said was a hate speech.

The DEO’s notice to the school, which was issued on the basis of media reports, said that even otherwise the school education department had banned the use of school children in campaigns and rallies, while the Election Commission of India (ECI) had said that there would be zero tolerance towards the use of children in the electoral process.

It said that engaging children in the distribution of posters or pamphlets, participation in slogan shouting, campaigns, rallies and election meetings amounted to gross violation of Child Right and Model Code of Conduct laid down by the ECI.

Satyabratha Sahoo, when asked about the allegation at a media conference, said that the ECI had taken note of the incident and sought an explanation on it.