Patna: The harassment of a teenage girl and her male classmate in Jamui on Saturday has triggered a political controversy in Bihar. Leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, launched a sharp attack on the NDA govt, alleging that law and order had collapsed and that the administration was initially attempting to suppress the matter.Tejashwi described the incident as shameful and cited it as an example of what he termed ‘gunda raj’ in the state. He also criticised ruling-party functionaries for allegedly describing the episode as a “minor incident”.The RJD functionary, in a post on X, alleged that women and girl students were no longer safe. Tejashwi also shared an old video of CM Samrat Choudhary in which he is heard saying that one could visit their village after having dinner at midnight, and if anyone dared to even touch them, he would resign by morning.However, senior JD(U) minister Shrawan Kumar assured that strict action would be taken against those found guilty.Jamui MLA and minister Shreyasi Singh said the incident had brought shame to society. She said the administration took cognisance after videos emerged on social media and subsequently registered an FIR. She said three persons had been detained and action was being taken promptly.But Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram questioned the effectiveness of law enforcement in protecting women and girls.The CPI(ML) said the episode raised serious questions about women’s safety and administrative accountability. Party state secretary Kunal demanded concrete security measures and accountability rather than assurances.
