Political Row Erupts Over Alleged Harassment of Minor Girl in Bihar

The alleged harassment of a minor girl in Bihar’s Jamui district has triggered a political row, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav and Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor criticising the ruling NDA government. The BJP-led coalition, which stressed that the accused were arrested soon after the incident came to light, was defended by NDA partners, including Union ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan” and Jitan Ram Manjhi, who invoked the “jungle raj” that allegedly prevailed when the state was ruled by the RJD. Vadra, who was in her parliamentary constituency of Wayanad in Kerala, reacted to the incident, which took place last week but came to light only on Monday. “It is horrible. Crimes against women are on the rise... what is the point in talking about big schemes and programmes if we cannot ensure the safety of our women while they are out in the streets,” asked the Congress leader. Earlier on Monday, her brother and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had issued a strongly worded statement calling the incident “deeply disturbing” and demanding that all the accused be booked under the POCSO Act. Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, told a press conference: “Bihar has been shamed by the incident in Jamui. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary should resign, owning moral responsibility. The episode symbolises a collapse of law and order”. He also came down heavily on NDA leaders such as Shrawon Kumar, a minister and the JD(U)’s legislature party leader, and the party’s state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha for calling the incident 'stray', alleging that the remarks smacked of “insensitivity”.