ABVP accused of recruiting school students in Bageshwar

BAGESHWAR: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has been accused of recruiting students in several govt schools here. After Congress raised the issue, chief education officer (CEO) GS Saun issued a directive to all schools prohibiting political activities and warned that any institution found engaging in it would face consequences.
District Congress president Bhagwat Singh Dasila slammed ABVP and said students aged under 18 should have the freedom to choose their ideology independently after completing their education.ABVP functionaries argued that their activities are not political and the organisation is the "world's largest student body aimed at supporting students and teachers".
However, a professor at District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) said involving school students in any organisation is legally questionable. The professor noted the widely recognised political connections between ABVP and BJP and said school children lack political understanding and voting rights to participate in such activities.
Saun also said political activities are inappropriate for school environments, particularly for students aged 6 years to 18 years. He’s setting up a committee to monitor and prevent political activities in schools.