Bihar MLA Maithili Thakur’s earlier remarks about women’s safety in Bihar have resurfaced online following the Jamui incident involving two teenagers. The video was recorded months before the incident and was not a response to it. In April, Thakur was responding to remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about women’s safety in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Thakur said she came from Bihar, described herself as the “daughter of Bihar” and said that “we are very safe”. The video resurfaced after the 19 September incident in Jamui, where a Class 10 girl and a boy were allegedly stopped and assaulted by a group of men while travelling on a scooter. Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and arrested people in connection with the incident. Thakur separately addressed the Jamui incident on 22 September. She said that touching, stopping or mistreating a girl without her consent is a crime. She also said that boys should be taught about consent and that such conduct should not be treated as acceptable. Her earlier Bihar safety remarks later drew a response from writer-lyricist Neeraj Pandey. He said his experience of growing up in Bihar was different and that individual experiences of safety can vary.