The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights issued a notice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi as well as microblogging site Twitter for disclosing the identity of two minor boys who were reportedly victims of assault. As per reports, Amol Jadhav, a city resident, had filed a complaint and President of the commission, Pravin Ghuge, said he has sought a reply as to why action should not be taken against them under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
On 15th June, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had tweeted a video where two minor Dalit boys were allegedly being beaten up for bathing in ‘Savarna’ well.
महाराष्ट्र के इन दलित बच्चों का अपराध सिर्फ इतना था कि ये एक "सवर्ण" कुएं में नहा रहे थे।
आज मानवता भी आखरी तिनकों के सहारे अपनी अस्मिता बचाने का प्रयास कर रही है।
RSS/BJP की मनुवाद की नफरत की जहरीली राजनीति खिलाफ हमने अगर आवाज़ नहीं उठाई तो इतिहास हमें कभी माफ नहीं करेगा pic.twitter.com/STeBSkI1q1
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 15, 2018
As per law the identities of minor victims cannot be disclosed. The video which went viral last week allegedly shows two minor boys who were stripped naked and beaten up and paraded nude in a village at Jalgaon in Maharashtra. Rahul Gandhi had tweeted the video from his official handle, blaming the BJP and RSS for rising atrocities against Dalits.
While Congress leaders from Maharashtra, like Sanjay Nirupam, have dismissed the notice, the commission has sought the reply within 10 days from Rahul Gandhi.