Bangar then asked the children to repeat and recite what they would say in front of their parents about whom to vote for in the next elections.”Ask your parents to vote for MLA Santosh Bangar. Otherwise you should not eat for two days. When you don’t eat and your parents ask why you aren’t eating, tell them you vote for MLA Santosh Bangar, we will eat after that.”
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi criticised the CM Eknath Shinde-led Sena’s legislator from Kalamnuri in Marathwada, saying the EC has asked political parties not to use children in election campaigning “in any form whatsoever” and asked them to adhere to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016, and if violated, severe disciplinary action would be taken.
“Therefore, strict action must be taken against Bangar according to the said Act. He is a repeat offender and ends up going scot-free as he is an ally of BJP. EC must act on him without prejudice,” said Clyde Crasto, spokesperson for NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Shiv Sena legislator Santosh Bangar’s video, in which he is seen asking schoolchildren in Hingoli not to eat for two days if their parents don’t vote for him, sparked acontroversy on Saturday. When Bangar spoke to students on the subject and asked them questions, the school staff, teachers and activists were seen laughing in the video.
The Election Commission of India on Feb 5, in its firstever consolidated instructions against the use of children in electioneering, issued strict directives to poll officers as well as political parties and candidates, prohibiting their participation. The Kalamnuri MLA was in the news in the past too because of his statements.
A few weeks ago, Bangar’s statement about Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a stir. Bangar had said if Modi does not become Prime Minister, he will hang himself in the middle of the road.
“I had boldly said that the disqualification order in the Shiv Sena MLAs case will be in our favour. Once again, I say boldly that Narendra Modi will become PM after Lok Sabha elections in April,” he had said.