BJP says crime on rise in Bihar, seeks Guv intervention

Patna, Jan 16: After a jeweller was shot dead in the state capital today, opposition BJP attacked the Nitish Kumar government on law and order situation in Bihar and sought the intervention of Governor Ramnath Kovind.

"Under the dominance of numerically strong Lalu Prasad, it appears that the Nitish Kumar government has lost the will to take on criminals," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.

"The fear of return of jungle raj has appeared to be true in Bihar as indicated by killing of two engineers in Darbhanga, gunning down of a jeweller in Patna today and regular news reports of extortion calls by criminals to doctors, engineers and industrialists," Sushil Modi said.

Sushil Modi, who is Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, said soon a delegation of BJP would meet Governor Ramnath Kovind and seek his intervention to check the spiralling crime graph.

In a scathing attack at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the senior BJP leader asked "What happened to his pre-poll assurance to people of 'main hoon na'."

Sushil Modi alleged that Bihar was returning to path of "jungle raj" which was prevalent during 15 years rule of Lalu Prasad's party in the state from 1990-2005.

"There are clearly two centres in Bihar today, one led by Lalu Prasad and another Nitish Kumar," he said and pointed to the RJD chief telephoning civil and police officials and giving directions to them on law and order issue.

"Prasad had recently said he would make his mobile number public so that citizens could talk to him over crime," he said to drive home the point.

"Nitish Kumar has lost control over bureaucracy due to interference by Lalu Prasad who with 80 MLAs is the single largest party in the coalition government," he said. Sushil Modi stringent remarks came in the wake of the murder of a jeweller by armed men near Rajapur in the heart of Patna, reportedly over an extortion demand.

The jeweller Ravi Kant succumbed to bullet injuries while being taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told.

PTI