RJD MP Manoj Jha slammed PM Modi and Amit Shah’s ‘silence’ on rising crimes against women in Bihar. Chirag Paswan and Pappu Yadav also raised concerns over a spate of incidents, including one in Banka, demanding greater accountability.
Opposition Questions PM’s ‘Silence’
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Friday expressed concern over recent incidents of crimes against women in Bihar, saying the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was troubling.
Speaking about the recent incidents, including the alleged harassment of a minor girl in Banka, Jha said, “I would like to say one thing to you with folded hands: the Prime Minister’s silence is now troubling me. The Home Minister’s silence is troubling too, because all the statements he made during the elections keep flashing before my eyes.”
Jha alleged that a pattern of incidents had emerged in Bihar and criticised what he described as a lack of empathy among those in power. “They go around telling people how things were thirty years ago. A pattern has emerged—and their cabinet ministers and local ministers often cross the line into sheer callousness. As I have said before, empathy is not delivered via Blinkit; it has to come from within. Your inner empathy has died. It is almost a failed state,” Jha told ANI.
MPs Raise Concerns Over Spate of Incidents
Independent MP Pappu Yadav also raised concerns over the Banka incident, alleging that political reactions often begin only after videos of such incidents circulate on social media. “Regarding Banka, I have told you many times that whatever appears on social media triggers a ‘media trial’; only then do politicians take the matter seriously and start posting about it on Facebook. That is when the politics around it begins. My direct question is, from top to bottom, from politicians to the common man, 95% of the youth are consuming drugs… so where will a girl be safe?… When a girl leaves school and travels along deserted roads to her village, do you think drug-addicted, wayward youths won’t harass her? Is any girl in any village or street safe? Accountability is simply not being fixed,” he told ANI.
“The incident in Banka is truly horrific. The incident in Samastipur is even more horrific. The one in Muzaffarpur is more horrific still. And the incidents in Darbhanga and Madhepura are even more horrific than that,” Yadav added.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan Demands Accountability
Union Minister Chirag Paswan described the series of incidents involving minors as a matter of “grave concern” and said accountability should extend beyond the accused to officials who allegedly fail to prevent such incidents. “The series of incidents happening to young women is a matter of grave concern and is truly shameful. We certainly cannot evade accountability for these events; we cannot allow them to occur without appropriate action being taken. Regarding the Jamui incident, the local MP Arun Bharti acted with great promptness; not only were arrests made, but an encounter also took place. Similarly, in the Samastipur incident, arrests were made immediately,” he told reporters.
Paswan said arrests alone would not be sufficient to prevent such incidents and called for action against officials under whose jurisdiction such incidents occur. “However, I do not believe that arrests or encounters alone will put a stop to these occurrences. Action must also be taken against the officials under whose very noses such shameful acts are perpetrated. It is a matter of deep concern for me that criminals are carrying out such acts while our government is in power. The fact that their morale is so high—emboldening them to brazenly commit such misconduct in broad daylight—is a serious issue that should worry us all; it certainly worries me,” Paswan said.
“I have discussed this with the Chief Minister, and we have clearly stated that we must adopt a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy regarding such matters. If even a single such incident occurs in Bihar during our tenure, it is a source of great shame for us. In such a situation, when incidents like this occur again, action should not be limited to the accused alone; the axe must also fall on those officials who turn a blind eye and allow such acts to take place right under their noses. We must ensure that the fear of the law is instilled in such anti-social elements to prevent future occurrences. It is our responsibility to provide a sense of security for our children, and we are working towards that goal,” he added.
Police Action in Banka Harassment Case
The remarks came amid a purported video showing a minor girl being allegedly harassed and assaulted at Mandar Hill in Bihar’s Banka district. Banka Superintendent of Police Amitesh Kumar said three youths seen in the video had been detained and were being interrogated. Police also said preliminary investigation indicated that Rs 1,500 was allegedly taken from the victim’s account through PhonePe.
“Regarding an unfortunate incident involving a young woman who was subjected to molestation and misconduct, a video of the event came to the notice of the Bounsi Station House Officer (SHO) on the 22nd. Upon viewing the video, it appeared to have been recorded in the vicinity of Mandar Hill. The SHO verified the video, and an FIR was initially registered against unknown persons, as the identities of the victim and her companions were not known at the time,” Kumar told the media.
“Subsequently, efforts were made to identify the individuals seen in the video. By last night, information was obtained regarding the three youths visible in the footage—who were seen mistreating the victim and two male companions accompanying her, including grabbing their hands,” the SP added.
According to police, the video came to their attention through the social media cell on September 22. A police team subsequently visited Mandar Hill and verified that the location shown in the footage was the tourist site. A case has been registered under Sections 74, 75, 76 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Police later identified three youths seen in the footage, all residents of the Barahat police station area, Kumar said.
“I have personally recorded the victim’s statement; she has expressed full confidence in the police, and we are investigating all aspects of the case,” the SP said. (ANI)
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