New Delhi, March 13, 2025
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Thursday complained to the apex child rights panel against Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for allegedly disclosing the identity of juvenile inmates during a visit to a shelter home.
In a letter addressed to chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Oberoi alleged that CM Gupta, during a visit to Asha Kiran shelter home for the mentally challenged, blatantly breached the provisions aimed at protecting the identity of children, especially those in need of care and protection.
Training her guns on CM Gupta, Oberoi wrote: “Given the gravity of this violation and its potential repercussions on the affected children, I urge you to take immediate and stringent action against Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and any other accomplices involved in this breach.”
Citing a video news report on the CM’s interaction with children at the shelter home, the AAP leader asked the panel to, “investigate the circumstances under which this violation occurred; assess the impact of this exposure on the affected children and provide them with the necessary support and interventions and implement stricter controls and oversight mechanisms to prevent such violations in the future”.
The CM’s action not only undermines the legal safeguards placed by the Juvenile Justice Act but also potentially exposes these children to stigma, discrimination, and harm, undermining their rehabilitation and social integration efforts, wrote Oberoi.
The AAP leader wrote: “During her visit to the Asha Kiran Shelter Home, Delhi CM disclosed the identities of several juveniles who are not only in need of care and protection but are also mentally ill or physically and mentally challenged.”
She claimed the alleged disclosure was a direct contravention of the Juvenile Justice Act, which strictly prohibits revealing the identification of such children.
“The video footage makes it evident that Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta failed to adhere to these legal obligations, thus compromising the privacy and safety of the vulnerable children,” she wrote.(Agency)
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