Patna: The horrific Jamui incident involving molestation of a girl student spiralled into a major political controversy on Tuesday with the opposition targeting the govt over the issue.While leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav sought the resignation of CM Samrat Choudhary, citing a “total collapse” of the law and order situation in the state, Jan Suraaj founder and legislator Prashant Kishor described it as a slap on the face of people who have kept winning elections in the name of the proverbial “jungle raj” for the past two decades.Talking to mediapersons in Patna, Tejashwi described the state’s law and order situation as very worrying, saying the Jamui incident had shamed the entire state but NDA functionaries were constantly trying to play down the issue, describing it as a “sporadic incident” and stating “moral policing could be carried out in a more decent and elegant fashion”.“The way NDA people are speaking in public is very shameful. One leader has termed it as ‘Chhitput ghatna’ while another one is calling for ‘moral policing’. Before passing such remarks, they should consider over the mental condition of victim family,” Tejashwi told the newsmen on Tuesday, demanding that NDA functionaries tender a public apology for such remarks. He further demanded that the accused persons be handed capital punishment after a speedy trial.Describing the prevailing situation in the state as very “serious”, Congress questioned the way ruling functionaries were reacting. “The NDA came to power cashing in upon the jungle raj slogan but it’s strange they were defending the Jamui incident. Such criminals are flourishing just because of patronage being provided by these leaders,” Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathorre said on Tuesday.Jan Suraaj founder and legislator Prashant Kishor, while condemning the incident, alleged such incidents had become common — the rape-murder of a NEET student, dragging a girl from a hotel in Begusarai, or the Jamui incident, after Samrat Choudhary became CM. Taking a jibe at PM’s ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’, he said Modi ji’s slogan was fine, but now the time had come to add one word to it: “Teach your daughter yourself and save your daughter yourself.”Summarily rejecting these allegations, BJP alleged the opposition was making such remarks against the CM with the sole aim of defaming him as they were jealous of the political growth of Samrat Choudhary. “Samrat became the CM at a young age and comes from an influential community. So both Tejashwi and PK have been constantly trying to defame him in one way or the other as they fail to digest his political success,” BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma saidd on Tuesday.Meanwhile, the Congress on Tuesday formed a high-level committee to conduct an on-site inquiry into the incident of molestation and harassment of a schoolgirl in Jamui. The committee will arrive in Jamui on Sept 23 and meet the victim’s family to gather detailed information about the case. It will also meet the local administration and relevant officials to demand an impartial investigation and strict action against those found guilty.
