Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma will be shown the door if anything against her is found in the investigation into the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.

The Janata Dal (United) chief also slammed opposition parties of trying to politicise the issue.

Kumar was addressing reporters in Patna on the sidelines of his weekly public interaction programme “Lok Samvad”. He was responding to the Opposition demand for the resignation of Verma in the wake of sexual abuse of girls at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur.

Verma, a Janata Dal (United) MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur, is in the eye of the storm after the name of her husband, Chandeshwar Verma, emerged in connection with the horrific case related to the rape of 34 minor girls.

“If someone related to the Minister is involved, they won’t be spared. But why is this issue being raised only now. We had called her and she denied any involvement. How is it justified to level baseless allegations?” said Kumar in response to the Opposition accusations against his government.

He said that the matter should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the High Court should monitor their investigation.

Defending his government’s action against the shelter house accused, Kumar said that an independent inquiry done into the matter. “Tell me which other state has ordered such a probe?” he asked reporters.

Slamming the Opposition led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav over their protests in New Delhi, Kumar said, “Every Bihar resident has felt shameful. But those who is shouting from the top of his lungs have not felt ashamed.”

He claimed that the politicians protesting are trying to shift focus from ongoing corruption investigations against them.

“I don’t think that the politicians who are protesting are concerned about the girls. They just want to change the debate,” said Kumar, adding, “They wish to stay in power and continue corruption.”

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Assuring that the guilty in the case will be punished, Kumar said that he was not bothered by what the Opposition was saying.

“We are concerned about justice for the girls. Those responsible in the department will face administrative action. And we are finding a way to strengthen the system,” he said.

Responding to BJP Rajya Sabha MP CP Thakur’s demand that Manju Verma should resign, Kumar said that everyone has the right to express their sentiments.

Besides Thakur, BJP MP Gopal Narayan Singh too demanded that Verma should resign.

Kumar also said that his government will cut off funding for NGOs to run shelter homes and run them directly.