Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will sit on a dharna at Jantar Mantar on August 4 to protest against chief minister Nitish Kumar's silence on the Muzaffarpur incident.

Ever since the Muzaffarpur incident, in which 34 girls were raped at the Balilka Grih shelter home run by Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, Nitish has not uttered a word.

Tejashwi on Thursday claimed he will ensure that Nitish speaks on the issue. He also alleged that not saying anything on the issue is akin to criminal silence. He cited how even the Bihar governor wrote two letters to Nitish over the incident.

"Indirectly, he has questioned the chief minister's criminal silence on this horrendous institutional rape. Why is Nitish dead silent?" Tejashwi asked. "I want to expose chief minister Nitish Kumar's criminal silence. He has not uttered a word on the issue. He is custodian of the state where 34 minors have been raped but Sushan Babu is silent and has become deaf and dumb. Jungle raj was just a perception but today it is Rakshas (demon) raj in Bihar and I want to tell the entire world how our chief minister does not even come forward to condemn it. I have decided to sit on a dharna at Jantar Mantar on August 4 to expose Nitish's silence and his ties with the main accused, Brajesh Thakur."

On July 25, Tejashwi and several Congress and Left leaders had visited Muzaffapur to check the ground reality of the shelter home. Later, on July 28, Tejashwi undertook a bicycle march from Gaya's Gandhi Maidan to Jehanabad in protest against rising incidents of crime in the state.

Attacking Nitish for his silence, he called him "Ravan" and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi "Duryodhan". He said both were aware about the entire episode but still remained silent for years and days. "I'm wondering why his antaratma (inner voice) is sleeping when 34 girls were raped. I promise you I will break his criminal silence, and awaken his antaratma, which is sleeping like Kumbhkaran. I will remove his mask and expose his fake morality."

He pointed out that even the Supreme Court had taken cognizance of the case but Nitish remains mum. He claimed that proper investigation will put many senior JDU and BJP leaders behind bars for their close association with Brajesh.