Businessman Gopal Khema murder sparks outrage; Rahul Gandhi targets Nitish over law and order

Following Patna businessman Gopal Khemka's murder, Rahul Gandhi criticized the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, calling Bihar "India's crime capital."

Days after the murder of businessman Gopal Khemka in Patna, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, launched an all-out attack on the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar and noted that every "murder is a cry for change".

The murder of the businessman has evoked sharp political reactions from the opposition parties and put the spotlight back on the law and order situation in the State, which is going to the polls in the next few months.

In a post on social media platform X in hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The brazen murder of businessman Gopal Khemka in Patna has once again proven - the BJP and Nitish Kumar together have turned Bihar into "India's crime capital." Today, Bihar lives in the shadow of loot, gunfire, and murder. Crime has become the 'new normal' here - and the government is utterly ineffective"

"Brothers and sisters of Bihar, this injustice can no longer be tolerated," he said.

The former Congress President observed that a government that cannot ensure the safety of your children cannot be entrusted with your future either.

"Every murder, every loot, every bullet - is a cry for change. Now is the time for a new Bihar - where there is no fear, only progress. This time, the vote is not just to change the government, but to save Bihar," he called on the voters ahead of the assembly elections.

Earlier, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan visited the residence of businessman Gopal Khemka, who was shot dead from point-blank range outside his home in Patna on Friday night.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the bereaved family on Saturday, the Governor said, “The law and order agencies will be made more proactive. I believe that process has already begun.”

Bihar Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the murder in the south area of the Gandhi Maidan in Bihar.