Patna: Leaders of the Left parties in Bihar on Tuesday formed human chains to protest against the sexual abuse of dozens of minors at a care home, and cases of violence against women in the state.
This is the third time in the past eight months that political parties have formed human chains over the social ills.
Hundreds of leaders carrying placards stood in long queues for a full hour in between noon and to 1pm to express their solidarity over the issues that have been earning a bad name for the state nationally and globally.
The Left-sponsored human chain protests had the full backing of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) which led the human chain programme launched a frontal attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for failing to protect the lives and dignity of women in the state.
“He [Nitish Kumar] grabbed power over the issue of governance and restoring law and order situation in the state. Sadly, violence against women has become an identity for Bihar as our daughters are not safe anymore,” CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya told the media on day.
He also called for Central Bureau of Investigation probe into abuses at child shelter homes and completion of the probe within three months.
At the same time, he demanded immediate resignation of CM Kumar and his deputy, accusing them of protecting the people made accused in Muzaffarpur care home sex scandal.
The Communist Party of India general secretary Satya Narayan Singh too made similar allegations, charging the state government with shielding the sex scandal accused.
“The present government in the state is trying to save the accused and hence we demand immediate resignation of the chief minister and his deputy. The sudden transfer of a CBI official midway through the probe amply proves our concerns,” Singh alleged.
As many as 34 girls were allegedly raped at the state-owned care home in Muzaffarpur, which was being run by a NGO. The matter is currently being investigated by the CBI but the Left leaders are not happy with the Patna High Court banning the publication of news items relating of Muzaffarpur sex abuse cases in the media. The court has said the publication of news could affect the CBI probe.
