Patna, Sep 9 (IANS): Hours after a BJP leader named Munna Sharma was gunned down by two bike-borne assailants in Patna on Monday morning, RJD's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav strongly criticised the Nitish Kumar-led government over its handling of law and order in the state.

Sharma, a former president of the BJP Chowk Mandal, was wearing a gold chain which the assailants tried to snatch. When he resisted, the assailants shot Sharma in the head, killing him instantly.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV.

Releasing a CCTV clip of the incident on X, Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the state government has failed to maintain public safety in Bihar.

The RJD leader also accused Nitish Kumar, the leader of the NDA in Bihar, of being disconnected from the serious crime situation in the state.

“The leader of NDA in Bihar is busy here and there but is unaware of the uncontrollable crime (in the state). He has failed to control law and order in Bihar,” Tejashwi Yadav said.

He also alleged that “government-protected criminals are flourishing in Bihar", implying that the administration is either complicit or negligent in dealing with criminal activities.

His remarks reflect the growing disapproval among the opposition regarding the increasing crime rate and the perceived inability of the state government to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Meanwhile, the brazen murder of Sharma has shocked the political community in Bihar, drawing strong reactions from both the ruling and opposition leaders.

Expressing his grief over the incident, Health Minister Mangal Pandey called it “extremely painful for every BJP worker", as he assured that the police are actively probing the case and the accused will be nabbed soon.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said, “We have applied pressure on the district administration to expedite the arrest of the accused, and warned that anyone protecting criminals will be held accountable under the law.”

The shocking incident was reported early on Monday morning from the Patna City area where Sharma was gunned down by the two bike-borne assailants.

The crime took place in front of the New Road restaurant under the jurisdiction of the Patna City Chowk police station.

Ravi Shankar Sharma, the son of the deceased, said, “My father had gone out to hire an auto-rickshaw. When he didn’t return home, we went outside to search for him. We found him lying unconscious on the road with gunshot injuries behind the neck. We rushed him to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries."

Gaurav Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Patna East, said that the police received information about the incident at around 6:15 a.m.

"The police are currently scanning the CCTV footage from the area. We are committed to arresting the perpetrators as quickly as possible," the officer said.