NEW DELHI: The chorus against the Bihar government over its alleged inaction in the
Muzaffarpur shelter home case grew louder on Saturday when several opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI's D Raja, joined hands with RJD leader
Tejashwi Yadav for a protest march in the national capital.
The Congress president addressed the issue women's safety in the country and demanded action against the perpetrators in the shelter home case.
"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: Congress President Rahul Gandhi at protest led by RJD against Bihar government on the Muzaffarpur shelter home case," he said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recalled the protests which took place in Delhi following the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder incident and said that the case in Bihar is that of "40 Nirbhayas".
"This was the same Jantar Mantar. One Nirbhaya had shaken the foundations of the UPA (government). This is the case of 40 Nirbhayas. Many powerful leaders will lose their reign. Within three months death penalty should be given to all the accused and the powerful leaders who are trying to protect them," Kejriwal tweeted.
Other prominent leaders who joined the protest include CPI's Atul Kumar Anjan and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.
On July 24, eleven employees of a girls shelter home in Muzaffarpur were arrested for allegedly sexually harassing the inmates. On receiving information, the police raided the vicinity and rescued 44 girls. On August 1, the state police raided another shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur after a case was registered against him over the disappearance of eleven girls.
Shortly before the start of the agitation in the national capital, Yadav had demanded death penalty for Thakur, the prime accused in the case.
Yadav alleged that one of the victims from the shelter home had gone missing after she was shifted to a shelter home in Madhubani. "The girl who had all the information has been shifted to a shelter home in Madhubani. After being shifted there is no information about her. We don't know if she is dead or has been killed or is missing," he said.
The RJD leader accused the Bihar government of shielding Thakur, who is the prime accused in the case. "FIR was lodged two months after Tata Institute’s report came and in that too name of prime accused Brajesh Thakur was missing. Somehow Brajesh has been a close aide of Nitish Ji," he alleged. Last week, Yadav had demanded Kumar's resignation after a photo of the owner of the shelter home, Brajesh Thakur, being felicitated by the chief minister, had emerged
Yadav said that the crime rate, especially crime against women, has seen a steady rise in the last one year. "If you see the number of crimes in Bihar has increased in the past one year. Cases of gangrape are being reported back to back from various districts of the state," he added.
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi ridiculed the call for protest, saying that "no women will be safe" (at such protests).
"We know what happens in Rahul Gandhi's protests, even Priyanka Gandhi can't be assured of safety. And now Tejashwi Yadav is too a part of it. No woman will be safe," she was quoted as saying on ANI.
On Saturday morning, Yadav had urged Delhi's residents to come out in support of the victims.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court also took suo motu cognizance in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.
The apex court's division bench headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur and also comprising Justice Deepak Gupta issued a notice to the Bihar Government and the Centre seeking a detailed reply from them in connection with the same.
Earlier this week, breaking his silence over the sordid episode, chief minister
Nitish Kumar expressed remorse and said those guilty of transgressions would not be spared.
He was addressing a function organised here to launch the 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana', a scheme for the welfare of girls.
“I am anguished over the shameful incident that has taken place at Muzaffarpur. I am suffering from pangs of guilt. What types of perverts inhabit our society... all the people of Bihar feel a sense of shame over such a horrific incident,” Kumar said.
