His remarks came as Congress and RJD attacked the BJP-led Bihar government over the incident.
“Recall Bihar before 2005,” JD(U) Bihar president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said while defending the state government’s response to the alleged harassment and molestation of two teenagers in Jamui.
The government, however, seems to have lost all sense of shame or decency regarding such events. It raises serious doubts about the safety of girls in Bihar today. Ask any girl in Bihar today; none of them feel safe—that is the reality.
The incident was captured in a video that was widely circulated on social media and triggered public outrage. Govt and Administration are looking into it. Our government is sensitive towards all sporadic incidents that occur… The guilty will be caught by the Police at the earliest,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The JD(U)-BJP coalition is in power in Bihar. We are deeply ashamed. Whether it is day or night; whether at college, school, on the street, in a hostel, or even inside or outside their homes—the rise in atrocities against women in Bihar is undeniable. The saddest part is that instead of taking action, the government and the police work to suppress and cover up these matters. Instead of securing justice for victims, they focus on hushing up the cases. It is utterly shameful. Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, expressed outrage regarding the incident and targeted the state administration over safety concerns and the delay in arrests, questioning how ordinary citizens can feel secure when minors are openly targeted.
Recall the RJD rule, the time before 2005.
Kushwaha said the government was sensitive to such incidents and assured that those responsible would be arrested at the earliest. Congress and RJD accused the Bihar government, and Tejashwi Yadav criticised it for allowing “goonda raj” to prevail in the state and criticised its handling of the incident. Responding to the criticism, Kushwaha said, “The government is sensitive to any incident that occurs. Kushwaha later condemned the incident in a post on X and said an SIT had been formed to investigate the case. He also said three accused had been arrested and raids were underway to catch the others. Expressing shame over the incident and questioning the safety of girls in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav said, “This is a truly tragic incident. A state of lawlessness—gunda-raj — has completely taken hold in Bihar,” he told reporters.
Opposition Questions Law-and-Order Amid Political Tensions
The opposition parties have expressed concerns regarding the law-and-order situation in the state. In response, both the BJP and JD(U) have called on these parties to refrain from politicizing the incident.
