National commission will ask Kejriwal to explain 'children's homes' remark

In the video clip, Kejriwal is heard saying that till now, children were 'grabbed' and put in child care homes where they were not taken care of properly prompting them to run away

Apex child rights body NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Saturday claimed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has made a "public confession" that kids are not taken care of in children's homes in Delhi for which a notice is being issued seeking clarification.

Kanoongo was referring to a video tweeted by Kejriwal in which the Delhi chief minister, addressing a press conference, said Rs 10 crore have been set aside for street children and a state-of-the-art school would be built where they would get all facilities.

In the video clip, Kejriwal is also heard saying that till now, children were "grabbed" and put in child care homes where they were not taken care of properly prompting them to run away.

Reacting to these comments, Kanoongo, in a tweet, demanded an explanation from the Delhi chief minister.

"The chief minister's public confession that 'children are not taken care of in children's homes in Delhi and they are forced to run away' has been taken very seriously and notice is being issued seeking clarification and action taken," Kanoongo tweeted.

He wrote on Twitter that the Supreme Court, since November, has been repeatedly issuing directives to rehabilitate street children.

"But due to the inaction of the Delhi government, only 1,800 children have been brought into the process. Two years ago we were told that 73,000 children are living on Delhi streets out of which not a single child was rehabilitated," he claimed.

"The Delhi government was also missing from the review meetings held for this. The direction of the court to make a policy in this regard has not been followed to date. Now that the matter is to be heard in the Hon'ble Court on Monday then Arvind Kejriwal is lying," the NCPCR chief tweeted.