The Rashtriya Janata Dal and several other opposition parties, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, staged a protest in the national capital on Saturday, voicing their anguish over the alleged rape of young girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur.
"We have gathered here for the women of our country and we stand with them. If Nitish ji is really feeling ashamed then he should take immediate action," said Gandhi.
In a show of opposition unity, almost all major political parties joined the protest at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the city, organised by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
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Other prominent leaders who joined the protest included CPI's D Raja and Atul Kumar Anjan, and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.
Tejashwi has been targeting Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over the alleged rape incident at the shelter home in Muzzafarpur.
The Bihar government has handed over the case to the CBI.
Various speakers at the protest demanded stringent punishment against those involved in the heinous crime.
The chorus for Nitish Kumar's resignation has grown after a photo of the owner of the shelter home, Brajesh Thakur, being felicitated by the chief minister has emerged. As many as 11 employees of the child shelter home in Muzaffarpur were arrested on July 24 for allegedly sexually harassing the inmates.
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Thakur is the prime accused in Muzaffarpur's shelter home case, where more than 30 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted over a period of time.
Taking on Rahul, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament (MP) Meenakshi Lekhi said it would not be possible to provide safety and security to women participating in the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) nationwide protest.
Speaking to ANI, Lekhi said, "Just take a look at what happened during Rahul Gandhi's previous candle march in April this year. Even Priyanka Gandhi felt unsafe there. Now that we have a protest staged by the RJD, I can vouch that no women, taking part in the strike, will be safe either."
(With agency inputs)
