“If your parents don’t vote for me, don’t eat,” a Shinde Sena MLA instructs schoolchildren

Inciting uproar, a member from the Shiv Sena headed by Eknath Shinde asked kids not to eat for two days if their parents didn’t vote for him in the next elections.

Santosh Bangar, the Kalamnuri MLA, made the odd comments while visiting a zila-parished school in the Maharashtra region of Hingoli.

Bangar was heard saying to the schoolchildren in Marathi, “Don’t eat for two days if your parents don’t vote for me in the next election.” On social media, a video of the event has also become quite popular.

Later, Bangar had the kids repeat to their parents what they would say if they were asked to vote in the upcoming elections.

Speaking to the pupils at Zilla Parishad school, Bangar advised them to vote for Santosh Bangar and only then would they be allowed to eat if their parents questioned their reluctance to eat.

Less than a week has passed since the Election Commission published strict guidelines prohibiting the employment of minors in poll-related activities when the Shiv Sena MLA made her comments.

The polling organization claims that it is against the law to utilize children in political campaigns in order to get votes and that doing so would violate the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986.

Bangar has a reputation for making startling statements and acting in ways that have sparked a lot of controversy in the past. He threatened to take his own life last month if Narendra Modi would not win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and become the next prime minister.

OPPOSITION EMERGES AT LEADER Bangar’s statements have caused Congressmen and the NCP, headed by Sharad Pawar, to take legal action against him.

Spokesman for the NCP-SP Clyde Crasto said, “Strict action against Bangar is necessary since what he told the schoolchildren violates the Election Commission’s instruction. Despite his repeated transgressions, he escapes punishment since he is a BJP supporter. The Commission needs to take action against him impartially.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar asked the Election Commission to take action against Bangar and questioned if the state education minister was awake at the time an MLA from his party was speaking to schoolchildren in such a manner.