The first year of NDA Government in Bihar could not be celebrated on July 27; thanks to the gruesome incident of rape of minor girls in a shelter home of Muzaffarpur.
The JD(U)-BJP alliance Government was formed on July 27 last year after Nitish Kumar walked out of the mahagathbandhan and entered into an alliance with previous ally BJP.
A few months back the Chief Minister had declared that the one year would be observed on July 27 with a report card of performance.
All arrangements had been made and all the departments had also furnished their performance data to the high authorities. But officially no reason for not holding the function was given and no leader of either JD(U) or BJP winked to miss the celebratory party.
One Minister of JD(U) said, “The function was cancelled because of looming threat of draught. When the State was undergoing dry spell how could we celebrateij” But he sheepishly admitted, “Situation was not conducive” while blaming Brajesh Thakur as the main villain.
Thakur runs the NGO which was managing the affairs of the shelter home and is believed to be the main culprit for sexually abusing the minor girls and pushing them into flesh trade.
The leaders of both the parties privately admitted that the rape case of Muzaffarpur shelter home Balika Grih was the main reason for postponement of the function as top leaders of JD(U) and BJP were in highly embarrassing situation after the exposure of the shameful case.
Moreover, names of some leaders including Ministers of both the parties also figured out as accused.
The incident had shocked the entire nation and condemnation trickled down from everywhere
Nitish has been very particular about releasing report card of his Government every year without fail since 2006. In 2017 too no report card was published because the mahagathbandhan Government had collapsed in July while the second year of that Government was to fall in November.
The yearly publication of the report card at a gala function has become a ritual and the occasion was always marked by the release of a counter report card by the opposition.
For six years, from 2006 to 2012 it was the RJD which brought out the report highlighting the failures of the Nitish Government and for three years, 2013 to 2016, it was the opposition BJP bringing out anti-Nitish report card.
But this year it was an atmosphere was silence. The silence was broken by former CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha founder Jitan Ram Manjhi who came out with a report card titled “Ek Saal, Bura Haal” which highlighted the “misdeeds” of the Government during one year.
“Nitish did not publish his report card be cause he had nothing to claim as achievement. The CM had been very particular about releasing his report card every year without fail. So I have stepped in to fill the blank,” said Manjhi who served as a Minister until he was picked up by Nitish to replace him in 2014 after the rout of the JD(U) and start of the inning by Narendra Modi following 2014 lok Sabha election.