New Delhi [India], September 21 : Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera on Monday termed the viral video from Bihar's Jamui, showing a group of men allegedly harassing and molesting two Class 10 students on a public road, as "horrifying" and said no amount of censorship can hide the reality of patriarchy and misogyny under a government whose commitment to women is limited to lip service.
In a post on X, Khera said that social media platforms are restricting posts containing visuals of the incident, including his own.
https://x.com/Pawankhera/status/2101951573777891555
"The incident in Jamui is so horrifying that X is restricting posts containing visuals of the incident - including my own. But no amount of censorship can hide the reality. Our society is already deeply entrenched in patriarchy and misogyny. Combine that with a government whose commitment to women goes little beyond lip service, and the result is disastrous. Had Modi and Shah taken firm and exemplary action against perpetrators of violence against women, they could have established a clear standard of accountability and deterrence. Instead, their repeated political and institutional attempts to shield and reward such perpetrators create the opposite effect: A climate in which violence against women becomes a state-backed norm," he said.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also condemned the video, saying it was deeply disturbing.
Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, expressed outrage regarding the incident and targeted the state administration over safety concerns and the delay in arrests, questioning how ordinary citizens can feel secure when minors are openly targeted.
“The video from Jamui, Bihar, is deeply disturbing. Two Class 10 students were stopped on a road. Harassed. Humiliated. Molested. A young girl, hands folded, begged to be let go while goons groped her and dragged her away. Who gave these men the right to behave like this? This is not "culture." It is patriarchy: the belief that any man can police a girl's body, her movement, her choices,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.
The Congress leader criticised the normalisation of mob vigilantism and harassment, demanding immediate legal action under stringent child protection laws and said every individual in that video must be identified and prosecuted under POCSO.
“When control is mistaken for culture, and such attitudes are normalised by Andhbhakts, mobs start believing they are the law. Every individual in that video must be identified and prosecuted under POCSO, and justice must be swift," he said.
Raising concerns over accountability, Gandhi questioned why the perpetrators remained at large days after the footage surfaced, placing the onus directly on the state machinery to guarantee public safety.
“And if the incident happened on September 19th, why are the culprits not behind bars yet? And the Bihar government must answer why a girl is not safe on a public road at 7 pm?” Rahul Gandhi said.
Meanwhile, Bihar Police launched a manhunt following the emergence of a viral video showing students molested on a public road in Jamui district, prompting swift condemnation from political leaders and an official investigation.
Speaking on the developments, Superintendent of Police, Jamui, Vishwajit Dayal confirmed that the authorities acted promptly after the footage surfaced, tracing the victim to record her formal statement.
"A video went viral this morning, and we received it as well. Based on that video, we identified the victim and recorded her statement. It was revealed that the incident took place around 7 PM on the 19th, showing some youths from the village engaging in molestation... Six or seven individuals are visible in the video. We have identified some of them," SP Vishwajit Dayal said.