Muzaffarpur case: BJP divided over Manju Verma's resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday came out in support of Bihar's social welfare minister Manju Verma in the wake of Muzaffarpur shelter home case whereas the party's another leader, Member of Parliament (MP) Gopal Narayan Singh demanded her resignation.

Senior BJP leader and Bihar's deputy chief minister Sushil Modi tweeted, "BJP is fully in support of Manju Verma. No charges against her."

However, his party colleague, Gopal Narayan Singh said that Manju Verma should resign as the state's Social Welfare Minister.

"Since their names (Manju Verma and her husband) have appeared during investigation, she should have resigned for an impartial investigation. Nitish ji should also tell her to stay suspended until all investigations are done," Gopal Narayan Singh told ANI.

Manju Verma's husband, Chandrasekhar Verma, allegedly frequently visited the shelter home, spending "long hours in the girls' room" - a charge that both Manju and her husband deny.

The issue of alleged sexual exploitation of more than 40 girls at a Muzaffarpur shelter home was uncovered more than a month ago by a Mumbai-based social science institute. Later, 11 employees of the child shelter home were arrested.