Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Uttarakhand after a retired Army brigadier was killed in an alleged crossfire between two groups, stating that law and order in the state has “completely collapsed”.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said under what he termed the BJP’s “irresponsible leadership”, Uttarakhand was witnessing growing violence and insecurity, with people living under an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
Referring to the incident in Dehradun, Rahul said the killing of retired Brigadier V.K. Joshi, who had stepped out for a routine morning walk, reflected a serious breakdown of law and order in the state. He made the remarks in a post written in Hindi on social media platform X.
He said it was deeply concerning that those who spent their lives protecting the nation at the borders were no longer safe even within their own cities, adding that ordinary citizens and different communities were increasingly feeling unsafe.
Alleging failure of governance, Rahul said under BJP rule, criminals appeared fearless while law-abiding citizens were forced to live with insecurity and anxiety. "Our Uttarakhand -- once synonymous with peace and security -- is under the irresponsible leadership of the BJP, living under the shadow of violence, murder and fear," he said.
Retired Brigadier Mukesh Joshi was shot dead on Monday after being caught in crossfire between two groups following a dispute over a nightclub bill in the Rajpur area of Dehradun, according to police.
Police have arrested four people, including a nightclub owner, in connection with the incident that took place in Johri village on Mussoorie Road. Investigations are continuing and further arrests are expected.
Also read: Four arrested in retired brigadier crossfire death case
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