Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the BJP-led government over the alleged harassment of two Class 10 students in Bihar’s Jamui, accusing the party of encouraging a culture of patriarchy and protecting perpetrators.
Gogoi was reacting to a post by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on the incident. Gandhi described a viral video showing a teenage boy and girl being stopped and allegedly harassed by a group of people as “deeply disturbing” and called for action under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“The BJP has encouraged the patriarchy in Indian society,” Gogoi wrote while retweeting Gandhi’s post.
He alleged that young men had become confident that they could “grope, assault, abuse, lynch without any persecution”, and accused the BJP of ensuring that “the law protects the perpetrators” instead of delivering justice to victims.
“The young students in Jamui, Bihar deserve better. India deserves better. India can be better,” Gogoi wrote.
The remarks came after a video circulated on social media purportedly showing a teenage boy and girl being confronted by a group of people in Jamui on September 19. Police said the two were friends who attended the same coaching institute and had gone to the area after their classes. The incident reportedly occurred between 6 pm and 7 pm.
The footage shows the teenagers being surrounded and questioned, while the boy was allegedly assaulted and the girl subjected to inappropriate physical contact. The authenticity and full context of the videos could not be independently established.
Jamui Superintendent of Police Bishwajeet Dayal said police learnt about the incident after the videos went viral and traced the victims using the registration number of a vehicle visible in the footage.
An FIR was registered under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police identified around seven people allegedly involved and arrested three. A Special Investigation Team headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepti Monali was formed to trace the remaining accused.
Gogoi’s comments echoed Gandhi’s criticism of the incident. Gandhi questioned why the alleged perpetrators were not behind bars if the incident occurred on September 19 and asked why a girl was not safe on a public road in Bihar.
The incident has triggered a political confrontation in Bihar, with opposition leaders criticising the state government over the incident, while ruling alliance leaders have highlighted the police response. JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha said the government was sensitive to such incidents and pointed to the administration’s action after the videos emerged.
The incident has also drawn attention from women’s rights bodies, with the National Commission for Women taking suo motu cognisance and seeking an action-taken report from the Bihar Police.
