The Khemka murder has sparked criticism of Nitish-government’s handling of law and order, not just from the opposition but also from its own coalition partners, who’ve voiced concerns about Patna’s rising crime rate.
Photo: ANI
The murder of prominent businessman and BJP leader Gopal Khemka in Patna has triggered a political storm in Bihar, with the Opposition blaming the Nitish Kumar-BJP government for complete collapse of law and order in the state where Assembly polls are due in a few months.
Khemka was shot in the head at point-blank range outside his residence in central Patna late Friday night. He died at the scene despite being rushed to a nearby hospital. His murder has sent shockwaves throughout Bihar.
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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with the DGP and ADG Headquarters on Saturday and said that maintaining law and order is the government’s top priority. He also asserted that those involved in the killing of Khemka will notbe spared.
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Later, a large-scale raid was carried out at Beur Jail in Patna. Sources said that the raid stemmed from new leads in the Khemka murder case, raising suspicions that the murder was planned inside the jail or involved incarcerated individuals.
A surge in crime in Bihar ahead of the elections has caused serious concern for the government as controlling crime and criminals remains a major challenge for the police.
The back-to-back killings – three people in Siwan followed by the murder of Gopal Khemka in Patna – have provided fresh ammunition to opposition leaders for renewed offensive against the government.
Criticising the Bihar government, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said that a prominent businessman was gunned down in Patna, just steps from the police station, yet it can’t be called “Jungle Raj”.
In a post on ‘X’, the RJD leader said: “In Patna, a wealthy Bihar businessman was shot and killed a short distance from the police station. Hundreds of businessmen are murdered in Bihar every month, yet it’s not called ‘Jungle Raj’? Apparently, this is now cleverly disguised as ‘media management’, ‘perception management’, and ‘image management.”
Congress leader Dr Akhilesh Prasad Singh said daily murders in most of Bihar’s districts are met with apparent government inaction, leaving the state’s citizens feeling abandoned.
He added: “Whenever Nitish Kumar and BJP form an alliance in Bihar, crimes like murder and rape increase in the state. Today, minor girls are being raped continuously, policemen are being killed. In Patna alone, 116 murders and 41 rape incidents have taken place this year.”
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor slammed the state government and compared the current situation under Nitish Kumar to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s reign, saying both are marked by lawlessness – criminals then, officials now. He insisted there’s no difference in the amount of crime and corruption.
He said: “The government’s credibility is shot.”
The Khemka murder has sparked criticism of Nitish-government’s handling of law and order, not just from the opposition but also from its own coalition partners, who’ve voiced concerns about Patna’s rising crime rate.
BJP National Secretary Rituraj Sinha said that Gopal Khemka’s death has heightened anxieties about the safety of industrialists in Patna and across Bihar.
He said: “Gopal Khemka’s assassination, right under the noses of the police and authorities, shows how brazen organised crime has become in Patna. The police are clearly powerless, and the situation is so bad we can’t even defend the government anymore.”
Earlier, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) also questioned the government’s law and order and called for the swift arrest of those responsible for Gopal Khemka’s murder.
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