A south Delhi mall on Wednesday allegedly denied entry to a group of 40 children from Maharashtra, whose parents had committed suicide owing to the ongoing farmer crisis.
The children had been taken to DLF Place, Saket, by volunteers of Swaraj India. They were, however, allegedly escorted out of the premises by the security guards because of their “attire”.
Anupam, Delhi head of Swaraj India, which has been promoting the cause of farmers, said the children were taken to the mall around 4 p.m., shortly after they had finished participating in the Kisan Mukti Yatra at Jantar Mantar.
‘Class divide’
“It was very hot on Wednesday and since the children had been out since morning, we thought an air-conditioned place would be an ideal getaway for them. They, however, ended up experiencing a class divide,” said Mr. Anupam.
Swaraj India’s volunteer Rohini Raj, who had accompanied the children, said the mall authorities told her to get permission for entering the premises.
“They told us that we needed ‘special permission’ to take the children inside,” said Ms. Raj.
She further said that the children were made to stand outside the mall for around 30 minutes.
Most of these children live in an ashram in Nashik because their families cannot afford their expenses.
Mall denies charges
The mall authorities, however, denied the allegations, saying the children were given a guided tour along with refreshments.
They said the children stopped only out of security concerns since they were all dressed in white kurtas and had donned caps with a “particular message on them and had worn a peculiar mark on their foreheads”.
“We happily conduct tours for children upon request,” the mall said in a statement.
Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav, however, said the mall authorities took a U-turn when they realised that the matter had gotten out of hand.
“When they realised that the media was getting involved, they offered food and games to the kids,” he said.
