BJP leader shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Patna

Patna, July 13 (IANS) In yet another brazen killing that has rocked Bihar's capital, BJP leader and former Kisan Morcha functionary Surendra Kewat was shot dead by two unidentified assailants while working in his fields, police confirmed on Sunday.

The incident comes just days after the shocking murder of businessman Gopal Khemka outside his home.

According to police officer Kanhaiya Singh, Kewat was shot by two men on a motorcycle.

"Surendra was working in the fields when unidentified men shot him dead. He was rushed to AIIMS, but he succumbed to his injuries during treatment," Singh told reporters.

The police said the statements of Kewat's family members and other relatives have been recorded, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the culprits.

Forensic teams have been deployed to the crime scene, and multiple raids are being conducted in and around Patna to nab the absconding shooters.

The murder has triggered a fresh political storm in Bihar, with Opposition leaders blaming the NDA government for the rising crime graph.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, lashed out at the state administration over the successive killings.

Taking to X, Yadav wrote in Hindi (loosely translated), "And now, a BJP leader shot dead in Patna! What to say, and to whom? Is there anyone in the NDA government willing to listen to the truth or admit their mistakes?"

"Everyone knows about the CM's health, but what are the two useless BJP deputy chief ministers doing?" he added, accusing the NDA of leadership vacuum and governance failures in the state.

In a redux of prominent businessman Gopal Khemka and sand trader Ramakant Yadav's murder a few days ago, a trader from Patna, Vikram Jha, owner of Trishna Mart, was gunned down in a late-night incident in the Zakariapur area under Ram Krishna Nagar Police Station limits on Friday.

In recent days, high-profile cases have raised safety concerns in the city. After the Gopal Khemka murder case, there was a deadly attack on sand trader Ramakant Yadav, and most recently, trader Vikram Jha was also gunned down in a late-night incident.

--IANS

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