Patna: "Jungle raj" prevails in Bihar, leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said on Friday, a day after the Gaya gang-rapes and the governor expressing alarm over incidents of violence against women.

The phrase jungle raj has been frequently used by the BJP and the JDU to describe the 15-year Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi regime in Bihar, and Tejashwi used it to hit back at the JDU-BJP government.

"The governor has virtually declared that Nitish Kumar's home department has become defunct and that the governor himself is having to intervene," Tejashwi tweeted in Hindi, stressing that the governor should recommend President's rule in Bihar.

At a Patna University event on Thursday, Governor Satya Pal Malik had underlined the need to ensure women's safety, and said students facing sexual harassment on campus should call up Raj Bhavan.

Tejashwi also taunted chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, asking them where their conscience was now.

The JDU reacted sharply to Tejashwi's barbs.

"He forgets that the term jungle raj was used by a judge of Patna High Court during the Lalu-Rabri regime," remarked JDU spokesperson Sanjay Singh,

He said that the Gaya incident was unfortunate, "but the police acted swiftly and already have detained 20 persons in connection with the gang-rape of a mother and daughter. During the Lalu regime many crimes were state-sponsored and there was police inaction".

Congress leader Sadanand Singh also expressed concern over increasing incidents of rape in the state, and said the government must step up policing for providing security to women.

RJD team in Gaya

A fact-finding team, of the RJD on Friday went to the house of the gang-rape survivors in Gaya. "The visit was okay, but the team virtually displayed the minor girl in public," alleged a person who was with the team led by Belaganj MLA Surendra Yadav.