New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday the Centre was ready to consider a CBI probe if there was a recommendation from the state government into the alleged rape of inmates and murder of a girl at a government-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur.

"If there is a recommendation from the state government, then the Centre will consider ordering a probe," Singh said after the issue was raised during Zero Hour by Bihar MPs Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress) and Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav (RJD). While Yadav used the incident to launch a political attack on the Nitish Kumar government, Ranjan dwelled on the tragedy and demanded a CBI probe. The home minister acknowledged the issue was serious.

Ranjan said Muzaffarpur-like incidents were happening in such shelters across the country and urged the government to take steps to save the poor helpless women who are being exploited by the powers-that-be.

RJD MP Yadav said the incident was a "national shame" and a reflection of how the Nitish government was functioning. He demanded immediate central intervention and said the incident highlighted the irony of the Centre's beti bachao, beti padhao scheme.