(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has come under fire from the ruling NDA coalition following his sharp criticism of the law and order situation in Bihar, calling the state the "crime capital of India."

The LoP's remarks drew strong reactions from leaders of the BJP and JD-U, who accused him of“maligning” the state and“ignoring” the development strides made under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership.

LoP Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, slammed the state government for the recent spate of murders and accused the administration of neglecting governance while focusing on political survival and corruption.

"Bihar has become the 'crime capital of India' -- fear in every alley, unease in every home! Unemployed youth are being turned into killers by the reign of goons. The CM is busy saving his seat, while BJP ministers are raking in commissions. I'm repeating again -- this time, the vote is not just to change the government, but to save Bihar," posted LoP Rahul Gandhi.

Responding strongly, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha accused LoP Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy, pointing out Congress's alliance with the RJD, which he described as a party that "gives tickets to criminals and mafias."

"You were in power with the criminal RJD regime. You support people who back terrorists and criminals. Bihar will not tolerate terrorism. Criminals will be dealt with, and Bihar will become crime-free," Sinha told IANS.

Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai also said that LoP Rahul Gandhi should remember the era from 1990 to 2005, when Bihar was under the RJD and allegedly rife with lawlessness.

"Back then, Bihar had become infamous for kidnappings, crime, and fear. Professionals, doctors, lawyers -- all started migrating. Today, Bihar is on a different path under Nitish Kumar. Rahul Gandhi should acknowledge the change instead of making baseless claims," Rai said.

JD-U MP Sanjay Jha accused LoP Rahul Gandhi of ignorance and deliberate defamation and told IANS, "Rahul Gandhi has always been abusive and lacks knowledge about Bihar. When there was jungle raj, the best minds and businessmen left. Now, the law and order situation in Bihar is better than in many states in the country. He's just trying to defame the state."

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal dismissed LoP Rahul Gandhi's remarks as pre-election negativity.

"Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi have only indulged in negativity. They sense defeat, and now they are preparing the narrative so they don't get blamed. But people of Bihar will punish them again," he said.

The Congress, however, stood firm in support of LoP Rahul Gandhi's comments.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar said LoP Rahul Gandhi's concerns reflect the ground reality.

"He is absolutely right. Murders are taking place in broad daylight -- industrialists, ordinary citizens, and sand mafia-linked crimes. It feels as if there is no government at all in Bihar," Anwar told IANS.

Anwar further claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's health has deteriorated and that retired bureaucrats are effectively running the government, contributing to administrative inefficiency.

"That is why such situations are rising in Bihar. There is no control, no accountability," he added.

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