BJP MP slams Jharkhand govt over law and order

Sumit Srivastav, treasurer of the Palamu district committee of the BJYM, was murdered in a planned manner but the police are clueless even 24 hours after the incident, said Ram, a former director-general of police, at a press conference here.

Vishnu Dayal Ram, the BJP MP from Palamu, on Monday slammed the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government over the "deteriorating" law and order situation. He accused the government of not having a concrete strategy for maintenance of law and order which has led to a "spurt in organised crime" in the mineral-rich state. "Sumit Srivastav, treasurer of the Palamu district committee of the BJYM, was murdered in a planned manner but the police are clueless even 24 hours after the incident," said Ram, a former director-general of police, at a press conference here. The BJP youth wing leader's body was found inside his car on National Highway 98 in Palamu district on Sunday, with the police suspecting that he might have been murdered, Morning walkers had spotted the body of the 26-year-old Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader in the vehicle on the Medininagar-Aurangabad Road, Superintendent of Police, Chandan Kumar Sinha had said.

The car was found locked and bloodstain was visible on the victim's head.

On receiving a call on his mobile phone on Friday midnight, Srivastav had left his hotel room in the vehicle after informing his younger brother, the police officer had said.

Maintenance of law and order should have been the priority of the state government but unfortunately, the Soren government is "indifferent" to the safety of people, the BJP MP said. "Hence, attack on opposition party leaders continue unabated in the state," Ram said. Describing the incident as a ''political murder'', the MP said the perpetrators of the crime should be brought to book immediately. District president of the BJP Vijayanand Pathak had on Sunday served an ultimatum of 12 hours to the police to apprehend the culprits failing which, he said, the saffron party would launch an agitation.