PATNA: Under constant attack from the Opposition parties, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday broke his silence on the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, terming the incident as “shameful” and assuring that the culprits would not be spared.
“The incident in Muzaffarpur has left us with a sense of shame and guilt… What has happened is a sin. Such shameful incidents should not be allowed to happen again,” said Kumar in his address at the launch of ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana,’ a scheme run by his government for the welfare of girls.
The CM said he has already asked the chief secretary to discuss with the departments concerned and develop an institutional mechanism to prevent the recurrence such incidents in the state. He said the state government would recommend monitoring of the ongoing CBI probe into the incident by Patna High Court.
Social welfare minister Manju Verma, whose husband allegedly frequented the Muzaffarpur shelter home, also spoke at the event, dwelling on her department’s functioning. But she refused to take questions from reporters after the event ended. Her security personnel pushed reporters away as she entered her car. The Opposition parties have been demanding her removal from the cabinet and her husband’s arrest.
Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, who had said two days ago that he would force the CM to break his silence on the rape of minor girls at the shelter home, said he would stage a demonstration in New Delhi against the “heinous institutional mass rape in Muzaffarpur” on Saturday.
“It is not about politicking the issue. I have seven sisters and a mother, and my sisters have their daughters. What happened to the girls at the government-funded shelter home is unforgivable. The victims must get justice fairly,” said Yadav.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has confirmed that he would be present at the dharna at Jantar Mantar, said Yadav. “Leaders of Trinamool Congress and several other parties would be present with us. We are also talking with Samajwadi Party on this,” he added.
LJP leader Chirag Paswan accused Yadav of engaging in “needless politics” over the Muzaffarpur issue. “When CBI has started the probe in Bihar, what is the need of this protest? By choosing to sit in a protest in New Delhi, he (Yadav) is merely engaging in political get-togethers,” said Paswan.