A shocking incident unfolded in Bihar’s Hajipur on Tuesday evening when Pankaj Rai, a ward councillor representing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), was shot dead by three unidentified assailants. The incident occurred while Rai was standing at a clothing store near his home. According to reports, Rai, who was elected as a councillor for the first time, attempted to escape by running towards his house when the firing began. However, the attackers followed him into his house and fired indiscriminately, resulting in his death.
Following the incident, Rai’s family members and local residents rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead by the doctors. Preliminary investigations revealed that Rai had filed a complaint about a dispute six months prior to his murder, but no action was taken, as alleged by his family members. Hajipur police have stated that they are currently analyzing CCTV footage from the area as part of their investigation.
The RJD has strongly condemned the murder, with Tejashwi Yadav, the party’s leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, blaming the Nitish Kumar-led government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Yadav took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and accused the NDA government of failing to maintain peace and order, claiming that the murder was carried out by their goons. He criticized the state government for its inaction and the rising crime rate in Bihar.
Yadav also highlighted the failure of the state government to provide security for its own representatives, stating that Rai had applied for security six months prior to his murder but was ignored by the police. The RJD leader further criticized the double-engine government, referring to the BJP-led central government and the JDU-led state government, for their inability to control crime in the state.
Other RJD leaders, including Mukesh Roshan, an RJD MLA, echoed similar sentiments, expressing their disappointment with the state’s law and order situation and blaming the ruling government for the murder of Rai. The incident has sparked widespread outrage among the opposition party, who have demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.
The murder of Pankaj Rai has once again highlighted the growing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar. The opposition party has accused the ruling government of failing to maintain peace and order, while the state government has launched an investigation into the incident. It remains to be seen whether justice will be served and whether the government will take effective steps to address the rising crime rate in the state.
