PATNA: With the photographs of a senior Congress leader in the company of Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal main accused Brajesh Thakur surfacing on Saturday, the political blame game over the incident heated up and the Opposition RJD demanded a narco-analysis test of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Congress Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Akhilesh Singh is purportedly seen having dinner with Thakur in one photograph while in the other, Thakur is seen sitting close by as Singh delivers a speech. Citing these photographs, Bihar’s ruling JD(U) asked Congress to clarify the links between Singh and Thakur.
During an RJD-sponsored protest in New Delhi recently, Singh had attacked the ruling JD(U) and BJP, claiming that several senior leaders from the two NDA parties had “friendly relations” with Thakur. “It is not just the social welfare minister’s husband, but several BJP and JD(U) leaders who used to visit Thakur’s house and have dinner with him,” he had said.
“Thakur has also admitted that he was set to contest elections from Muzaffarpur on a Congress ticket. Now these photographs have surfaced. So Congress must clarify the links its leaders have had with Thakur,” said JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan.
RJD, which has been attacking the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state over the shelter home scandal, dismissed the photographs as insignificant and accused the government of shielding the culprits in the entire episode.
“There are many photographs of CM Nitish Kumar with Brajesh Thakur. It was Thakur who had organised Kumar’s political meetings in Muzaffarpur. Kumar had also visited Thakur’s house. This government is busy protecting the culprits. We demand a narco-analysis test of the CM,” said senior RJD leader and MLA Bhai Birendra.
Meanwhile, CBI officials on Saturday visited the shelter home in Muzaffarpur and opened the locked rooms where the minor girls had been living. Forensic experts accompanying the CBI team examined the rooms and gathered evidence.
The CBI officials also seized several files of Thakur’s NGO, Seva Sankalp and Vikas Samiti (SSVS), which was running the shelter home. Thakur’s son Rahul Anand was asked to be present during the CBI officials’ visit, said sources.