Shelter home case: Cong slams Nitish's governance model

The Congress on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of inmates at a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur and 14 other such institutions in Bihar and asked if it was an example of "good governance model" of the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance.

It also questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence on the issue.

Attacking Kumar, who has recommended a CBI probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of girls at Muzaffarpur shelter home, the party claimed young boys and girls were also sexually exploited and beaten in the 14 other shelter homes, but such "outrageous crimes were conveniently ignored".

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters that the alleged sexual exploitation of inmates at the shelter home had come to light in a social audit report of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, which also expressed "grave concern" over "shocking details of sexual abuse" in 14 other state-funded institutions.

After a lot of pressure from the opposition in Bihar, the state government has been forced to recommend a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the issue, he said.

Gohil also questioned as to "why they have not even filed an FIR in case of the rest of the 14 home shelters and institutions" mentioned in the TISS report.

"We demand a Supreme Court-monitored CBI inquiry in the alleged cases of sexual abuse in all the 15 shelter homes," he said.

"We want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his partner in crime, Nitish Kumar when will they speak a word on this gruesome (Muzaffarpur) incident," he said.

Taking a dig at Kumar, Gohil said he is termed as "sushan babu" (good governance man) and asked,"Is this the good governance model of the BJP-JDU?"

Gohil claimed, "Instead of seeking justice for the victims and demanding harsh punishment for the accused, the BJP, like in other similar cases, is busy protecting the predators."

BJP leaders have become "repeated offenders in exploiting women and then shamelessly, brazenly defending themselves. The recent gruesome crimes of Unnao and Kathua are a testimony to that," he said.