Prominent businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead outside his residence in Patna, leading Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to assert on Sunday that this incident further illustrates how the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have turned Bihar into the "crime capital of India."
Gandhi also asserted that in the upcoming assembly polls, the vote will not be just to change the government, but to save the state.
Khemka was killed by a bike-borne assailant outside his home in the Gandhi Maidan locality around 11:40 PM on Friday, just seven years after his son was murdered in Hajipur, according to police reports.
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi stated that the shooting of Khemka has once again highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar under the current government.
पटना में व्यवसायी गोपाल खेमका की सरेआम गोली मारकर हत्या ने एक बार फिर साबित कर दिया है - भाजपा और नीतीश कुमार ने मिलकर बिहार को “भारत की क्राइम कैपिटल” बना दिया है।आज बिहार लूट, गोली और हत्या के साए में जी रहा है। अपराध यहां ‘नया नॉर्मल’ बन चुका है - और सरकार पूरी तरह नाकाम।… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 6, 2025
"Today, Bihar is living under the shadow of loot, gunshots and murder. Crime has become the new normal here - and the government has completely failed," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
He urged the people of Bihar to recognize that this injustice can no longer be tolerated. "The government that cannot protect your children cannot be trusted with your future," he asserted. Gandhi added that each murder, theft, and act of violence is a call for change.
"Now is the time for a new Bihar—one characterized by progress, not fear. This election is not just about changing the government; it is about saving Bihar," he declared.
To investigate the businessman’s murder, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed, comprising officials from the Special Task Force and the central district police, as stated by the Director General of Police (DGP).
This incident occurred just months before the assembly elections, which are expected to take place in October or November.
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