EC notice to Kirron for using children in poll campaign

The Election Commission has issued a notice to BJP's Chandigarh candidate Kirron Kher, seeking a reply after she shared a video on Twitter in which children were seen campaigning for her.

However, in her reply, Kher said it was done "unintentionally", acknowledging that it was "wrong".

The poll panel had asked the actor-turned-politician to reply within 24 hours.

"You have shared a video on your Twitter account which shows that children are being used for election campaign in your favour through slogan 'Vote for Kirron Kher' and 'Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar'," the notice issued on May 3 said.

In the notice, it was mentioned that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in January 2017 had requested the Election Commission to ensure that children are not involved in any form with election-related activities, by either election officials or political parties.

The EC had subsequently instructed that it should be ensured by all political parties and election officials that children are not involved in any election-related activity, as per the notice.

Kher later said she has sent her reply to the EC.

"Some party worker sent it and my social media team shared it...Sometimes because of rush of work and enthusiasm, people do it and which is wrong. Children should not be used for this at all. I agree with that and it was not done unintentionally...So it was very bad, not good and it should not have been done," she said.

Kher is seeking re-election from the Chandigarh seat and is pitted against four-time MP and Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal and AAP's Harmohan Dhawan.

Chandigarh will vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19.