Cong objects to students' presence at function attended by MP

The opposition Congress Sunday objected to the presence of school students at a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha programme addressed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The programme, titled 'nav-matdata town hall' of the BJYM, the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing, was held Sunday at the Ravindra Bhawan campus here.

After clips of the programme, showing students in school uniform in attendance, were televised on TV channels, the Congress said it would file a complaint Monday on violation of the model code of conduct.

MP goes to polls on November 28 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.

"A large number of school students were present in this programme. The Congress will file a complaint in this regard with the Election Commission on Monday morning," said Bhupendra Gupta, vice president of state Congress media cell.

 

Attacking the BJP, Gupta further said, "This means that the BJP doesn't have young workers or supporters who can attend this programme. This shows that the BJP has lost its connect with the people. They don't have workers to fill even a small space at Ravindra Bhawan, which is meant for only a thousand people."

BJYM state president Abhilash Pandey, however, claimed that school students were not invited to the programme.

"There were ten thousand people in this programme. It may be possible that they (students) might have come with someone. We have not invited them. Congress is levelling allegations out of desperation," he claimed.

However, a girl in school uniform, while talking to a TV channel, said she and her schoolmates attended the programme at the directive of teachers.

"I'm not eligible to vote due to my age but teachers told us to attend the programme and listen to lectures on how to vote," she said.

Following the dispute, these students were removed from the programme venue.

In his address at the BJYM function, Chouhan attacked the previous Congress regimes in the state for poor roads, lack of electricity as well as irrigation facilities.