Rahul Gandhi attacks Nitish govt, calls Bihar 'India's crime capital'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a sharp attack on the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, calling Bihar the “crime capital of India”.

He said this while commenting on the murder of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka in Patna.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, 6 July, Rahul Gandhi stated: “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."

He said that Bihar is living under the shadow of loot, gunfire, and murder, and such incidents have become the "new normal" 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

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“Today, Bihar is living under the shadow of loot, fire, and murder. Incidents like these have become the new normal here, and the government has completely failed. Brothers and sisters of Bihar, this injustice cannot be tolerated any longer. A government that cannot protect your children cannot take responsibility for your future,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Describing every crime as “a cry for change”, the Congress leader urged the people of Bihar to vote for a new direction in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“Now is the time for a new Bihar, where there is progress, not fear. This time, the vote is not just to change the government but to save Bihar,” Gandhi said.

The murder of Gopal Khemka took place around 11.40 pm on Friday near Gandhi Maidan, just a short distance from the local police station and the district magistrate’s residence, raising serious questions over policing in high-security zones.

Following the incident, opposition leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor, criticised the Nitish government for failing to maintain law and order in the state.

Even leaders within the ruling NDA, including deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and LJP (RV) MP Rajesh Verma, have admitted that lapses occurred in this case.

The incident has intensified political debate in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections, placing law and order at the forefront of the state’s political narrative.