Muzaffarpur rape case: Sushil Modi comes out in 'support' of minister Manju Verma

Bihar social welfare minister was at the Centre of opposition attacks after her husband's name surfaced in the case. Senior BJP leader CP Thakur sought her resignation owning moral responsibility in the case.

Photo: PTI (File)

New Delhi: Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi has come out in support of Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma, who has faced backlash by opposition for her husband's alleged visit to the Muzaffarpur shelter home. Modi's statement comes after Verma was attacked by senior BJP leader CP Thakur on Sunday. Sushil Modi took to Twitter to display support for Verma: “Bjp is fully in support of Manju Verma. No charges against her.” Attacking the opposition, he further wrote in his tweet: “Those who have been chargesheeted  and summoned by CBI court in Raillway tender scam, whose 2 doz benami property attached by ED and Income Tax are lecturing us on morality.”

Bjp is fully in support of Manju https://t.co/jOWaqVq6q7 charges against her.Those who have been chargesheeted & summoned by CBI court in Rly tender scam,whose 2 doz benami property attached by ED & ITax are lecturing us on morality.

— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) August 6, 2018

However, on Sunday senior BJP leader C P Thakur said Manju Verma should resign owning moral responsibility for the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur. Talking to a regional news channel, the former Union minister said Verma of the JD(U) should take a call on the demand for her resignation by opposition parties, keeping in view the "lapses on part of the social welfare department" on which the scandal has been blamed. "The scandal points at huge lapses on part of the state social welfare department. How could the department be unaware of such a huge racket taking place right under its nose?" Thakur asked. "There are also complaints of similar irregularities having taken place at other organisations controlled by the department," Thakur said. Asked about the demand by opposition parties for the resignation of Verma, whose husband has been accused of being a regular visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home by the wife of one of the arrested accused, Thakur said, "She should take a decision on the same based on her conscience. I think she should take moral responsibility for the scandal." The BJP is a partner in the ruling coalition in Bihar. Asked about Thakur's statement, the JD(U), which is headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, came up with a guarded response. "C P Thakur has expressed his personal opinion. It is not that the BJP has come up with an official stand. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, himself a senior BJP leader, has been articulating the government's position on the issue," JD(U) spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar said. (With inputs from PTI)