New Delhi: It took a number of days for Nitish Kumar to break his silence on the alleged sexual assault of 34 women in a Muzzafarpur shelter home that has enraged the entire country. When he did speak - on Friday, the Bihar CM said he is ashamed of the incident. It is this admission that rival parties have clung to with Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying that if Nitish meant what he said, he must act immediately.
Rahul on Saturday was at a Rashtriya Janata Dal-led sit-in protest where he said the state CM should take stern action against those guilty. "We have gathered here for the women of our country and we stand with them. If Nitish ji is really feeling ashamed then he should take immediate action," he demanded. Beside him was RJD's Tejashwi Yadav who has already accused Nitish of trying to shield Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the shelter home who is believed to be politically influential. Thakur is the prime accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home case. At least 34 girls were allegedly sexually assaulted at the shelter home. He has also been named in a case pertaining to another shelter home run by him. Eleven women have reportedly gone missing from the shelter home.
Rival parties have been targetting the JDU-BJP combine in Bihar for being lenient on crime and of not taking action in the particular case of Muzzafarpur sex scandal.
Saturday's protest was attended by - among others - Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, LJD's Sharad Yadav and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
(With agency inputs)
