Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slams BJP over "deteriorating law and order" in Maharashtra

Pic: PTI File

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday criticized the ruling BJP government for the recent incidents in Maharashtra, where a leader was shot dead during a Facebook Live session, a journalist's car was attacked, and a BJP MLA shot and injured a local leader of the Shiv Sena.

Kharge alleged that under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, the state's law and order had collapsed, and a "goonda raj" was being perpetuated, newswire PTI reported.

Former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar (40), son of Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar, was shot dead by local businessman and social activist Mauris Noronha during the Facebook Live session on Thursday evening. Noronha later killed himself, according to police.

Earlier, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad shot and injured a local leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena at a police station in Ulhasnagar near Mumbai on February 2 over a land dispute and political rivalry.

Also, the car of journalist Nikhil Wagle was attacked on Friday allegedly by BJP workers in Pune while he was travelling to attend an event

In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said, "Law and order has collapsed under the Maharashtra government formed by the BJP's stealing of mandate."

"A politician is being brutally murdered on Facebook Live. An outspoken journalist is being attacked by unruly goons of the BJP-RSS. A BJP MLA is openly shooting at another politician in the police station," Kharge said.

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The Congress always maintained law and order in Maharashtra and only then the economic development of the state became possible.

"But the BJP government formed with the force of the Enforcement Directorate is playing with the security of the people of Maharashtra by spreading 'goonda raj'," the Congress president said.

Meanwhile, the Congress party on Saturday issued a three-line whip to all its MPs, directing them to be present in Parliament during the last day of the budget session of Parliament.

A three-line whip is a strict instruction to attend and vote according to the party's position, a breach of which would normally have serious consequences.

Before the session convenes today, INDIA alliance's parliamentary leaders will meet at the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's office in the Parliament premises.

Today is the last session of the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

This is the last session of the current Lok Sabha before the general elections, which are likely to be held in April-May this year.

The budget session was initially scheduled to conclude on February 9 and has been extended by a day. (With inputs from PTI)