STATE Congress President Deepak Baij has lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the State over deteriorating law and order situation in the state after former Mayor Aijaz Dhebar was allegedly threatened with dire consequences and a demand for Rs 50 crore in extortion money. In his statement, Baij said that an incident has come to light in the State capital where former Mayor Aijaz Dhebar was allegedly threatened with dire consequences and a demand for Rs 50 crore in extortion money. This incident is not merely a case of a threat directed at an individual; rather, it raises the question of whether criminals in Chhattisgarh still fear the law, he added. State Congress President Baij said that reports of murders, stabbings, robberies, assaults, and other criminal incidents are continuously being reported from the State.

 

A recent incident in Raipur involved the fatal stabbing of a young man following a dispute at a Ganesh pandal; the accused is alleged to have stabbed the victim five times, he added. Deepak Baij stated that the Congress demands a swift, impartial, and transparent investigation into the alleged extortion threat involving Rs 50 crore; the identity of the person who issued the threat must be revealed immediately, and if an organised crime network is behind it, the entire network must be brought to justice. The Government should send a clear message to criminals that the rule of law prevails in Chhattisgarh, not the rule of criminals. The Congress also demands that the state government launch a special campaign across the entire state including Raipur city against organised crime, illegal weapons, stabbings, extortion, and gang activities, and regularly inform the public about the actions taken. Forcing the public to live in an atmosphere of fear does not constitute good governance. The Government must now move beyond mere claims and establish the rule of law on the ground, he added.