Patna: Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, who has been facing criticism for the alleged role of her husband, Chandeshwar Verma, in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, submitted a resignation from her post on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters on the issue after her resignation, she said, “I resigned because Opposition parties wanted me to step down on moral grounds, but I am confident that my husband has nothing to do with the case.”
Opposition parties have been blaming Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for shielding political leaders including Ms Verma.
Besides the RJD, two prominent BJP leaders from Bihar — C.P. Thakur and Gopal Narayan Singh —had also joined the fray in demanding her resignation for links with the shelter home case.
JD (U) insiders told this newspaper that Mr Kumar spoke to Ms Verma on Wednesday and asked her to submit resignation after the main accused Brajesh Thakur, in a statement, accepted that he had talked to her husband on the phone.
Sources claim that analysis of call data records (CDR) had revealed that her husband Chandeshwar Verma was in touch with Thakur, who was running the shelter home. Sources claim that the minister’s husband spoke to Thakur around 17 times.
Ms Verma, however, dismissed the allegation, saying, “The CDR should be made public to show how many more people used to talk with Thakur. My husband is a political worker, and the Opposition targeted him to harm my political image”.
There are allegations that Chandeshwar Verma used to visit the shelter home frequently. His name surfaced for the first time after Sheeba Kumari, the wife of one of accused who was arrested by the police in connection with the case, claimed that he used to “visit the upper level of the shelter home alone.”
Mr Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had earlier ruled out the resignation of Ms Verma, calling the allegations against her “baseless”.
“The state government will not spare anyone who has been involved in the case. Now since Verma has resigned from her post, the Opposition has no moral right to raise questions on the good governance policy of the government. Inste-ad, it should now sack RJD MLA Rajballabh Yadav, who is accused of raping a minor girl,” JD (U) spokes-person Neeraj Kumar said.
