‘Don’t eat for 2 days if your parents won’t vote for me’: Sena MLA Santosh Bangar stirs row with remark to school students
The Opposition said Kalamnuri MLA Santosh Bangar’s remark during a school visit in Maharashtra’s Hingoli violates the Election Commission’s recent directives.
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Recently, Santosh Bangar said that if Narendra Modi does not become the Prime Minister after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he would die by suicide. (Photo: X/@SantoshbangarFc)Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader and Kalamnuri MLA Santosh Bangar has landed in a controversy after he asked school students to refuse food for two days if their parents do not vote for him in the upcoming elections. The Opposition was quick to criticise his remarks which came days after the Election Commission’s strict instructions against using children in poll-related activities.
In a viral video, the legislator from Hingoli district in Maharashtra is seen visiting a primary school, run by the zilla parishad, on Friday and telling the students, “If your parents don’t vote for me in the upcoming elections, don’t eat for two days.”
“Ask your parents to vote for MLA Santosh Bangar. Otherwise, you should not eat for two days,” the MLA said, adding, “You don’t eat and when parents ask why, tell them that I will eat after you vote for MLA Santosh Bangar.” He then asked the students to repeat the lines they would say to their parents even as teachers and other staff members at the school laughed.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders slammed Bangar over his remarks and sought to know if the Election Commission would take action against him for violating its directives.
Clyde Crasto, spokesperson of NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, said, “Election Commission has asked political parties not to use children in election campaigning ‘in any form whatsoever’ and asked them to adhere to Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016. If violated severe disciplinary action will be taken, but Shinde group MLA Santosh Bangar can be heard in a video going against the very directive of ECI…strict action must be taken against him according to the said Act.”
“He is a repeat offender and ends up scot-free as he is an ally of BJP. ECI must act on him without prejudice,” Crasto added.
Bangar has repeatedly stirred controversy with his statements. Recently, the MLA said that if Narendra Modi does not become the Prime Minister after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he would die by suicide.
After Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar delivered the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case, Bangar said, “We had boldly said that the disqualification and Shiv Sena verdict will be in our favour. Once again, I say boldly that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha elections in April. If Narendra Modi does not become Prime Minister, I will (die by suicide) in front of the public.”
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