27 Murders in 24 Hours in Bihar; Opposition Criticises PM Modi, Nitish Kumar's Silence

Patna: After 27 murders were reported within a span of 24 hours in Bihar, opposition leaders questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the incidents. The Opposition has termed it a total collapse of law and order in the state since the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA)government came to power two weeks ago.

Besides, criminals attacked with bombs a police team led by an IPS officer and a firing incident also took place at the main gate of Chapra jail in the last 24 hours leading to panic among the people.

NewsClick on Monday reported that the fear of lawlessness is haunting the common man in Bihar again with an increasing number of crimes in recent days. Three people were killed in separate incidents in state capital Patna on Saturday night and Sunday. Shocking reports of the killing of over one dozen in the state on Monday raised fears of a deteriorating law and order situation.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav tagged Modi in his tweet on Tuesday telling the prime minister that it was this very ‘jungle raj’ that he was perhaps referring to as NDA’s star campaigner during last month’s concluded election campaign. “Law and order has ended in Bihar and a gundaraj of criminals has been established now,” said Tejashwi who was the chief ministerial candidate of the opposition Mahagatbandhan (Grand Alliance).

NDA’s star campaigners, including Modi, Nitish Kumar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda and the saffron-clad firebrand Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Ajay Singh Bisht), warned that ‘jungle raj’ (lawlessness) would return if the people voted the opposition Grand Alliance to power.

Tejashwi further asked that when dozens were being murdered on a daily basis, why the Maharaj (king) of the ‘jungle raj’ was silent. “Why is the Chief Minister is not holding a press conference on crime?” he asked in Hindi in a separate tweet.

RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav tweeted saying that “criminals have come into action as soon as the NDA government came to power”. Giving examples of crimes including the bomb attack on a police team and the IPS officer in Bhagalpur, he said these were “examples of the state’s deteriorating law and order system.”

Since Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar took oath on November 16 as chief minister along with two BJP leaders as deputy chief ministers, nearly 50 incidents of murder, gangrape, kidnapping for ransom, extortion threats and loots have been reported in the state. The cases reflect a ground reality – criminals becoming free to prosper with the police failing to keep them in check.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan said the series of murders and other crimes in the past two days exposed the real picture of the rule of law. “The government is helpless to take on criminals,” he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Arun Kumar Mishra said the new NDA government in the state has totally failed in maintaining law and order. “Crimes are out of control and criminals have been ruling the streets and targeting people at their will. There is no fear of law enforcement agencies. The situation is bad,” Mishra said.

Incidents of killings have been reported from the districts of Saran, Siwan, Nawada, Khagaria, Nalanda, Buxar, Gopalganj, Kaimur and Bhagalpur. Between November 16 and 30, over two dozen people were shot or seriously injured by criminals in different places in the state between.

Under Nitish Kumar government, the killing of half a dozen to one dozen people within a 24-hour span has been reported several times, including in November last year, NewsClick had reported. This November, the numbers have spiked up even further.

It appears that the self-proclaimed “double engine” government led by Nitish Kumar, who hardly misses an opportunity to remind people that he has established rule of law in Bihar, is failing on that very front.

Read More: Bihar Elections: Women Bear the Brunt of JD(U)-BJP Jungle Raj