PATNA: Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Wednesday asked as to why CM Nitish Kumar was getting cold feet in recommending a CBI probe into the rape of 29 minor girls at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur when the union home minister categorically said that the Centre was ready for taking up the matter for investigation by the central agency.

Tejashwi, who led a delegation of senior leaders of opposition parties including Congress, HAM(S) and CPI-ML (Liberation) to Muzaffarpur and visited the shelter home run by an NGO- the Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti- to exert political pressure on the state government for handing over the case to the CBI; also asked as to why the NGO owner Brajesh Thakur was not being taken on remand by police for further questioning in the case.

Talking to reporters at Muzaffarpur, Tejashwi further asked the police administration to divulge the name of a union minister and senior leaders of the ruling BJP and JD(U) who allegedly made telephone calls to investigating officers and tried to influence investigation in the case.

The leader of opposition also sought the resignation of CM-cum-home minister on moral ground. “Nitish Kumar should resign taking moral responsibility for the alleged rape of 29 girls at the shelter home as he also holds the home portfolio,” Tejashwi said.

He also asked the state government to make public Brajesh Thakur’s call details for the last one year.

Congress legislative party leader Sadanand Singh who was the part of opposition’s delegation said a senior police officer of Muzaffarpur has categorically claimed that several big peoples were involved in the rape of 29 girls. “State government should come out with the name of those big peoples,” Singh said.

Tejashwi said his party RJD would hold a state-wide cycle rally against the rise in the incidence of crimes against women, especially young girls, in Bihar later this week with the slogan “NDA Bhagao Beti Bachao.”

Another leading member of opposition team and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi asked as to why the social welfare department took a month to act on the TISS’ social audit report on the shelter home and its officials took more time to lodge FIR in this connection. “Whether the delay was intended to enable the culprits including Thakur to tamper with evidence?” Manjhi asked.

The CPI-ML’s legislative party leader Mehboob Alam also demanded CBI inquiry into the shelter home case.

Bihar DGP K S Dwivedi had on Tuesday said that there was no need for CBI probe since the Bihar police’s investigation was satisfactory and going in right direction.

