By Anamika Tiwari

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], August 27 (ANI): In a heated debate in the Haryana Assembly, the opposition Congress accused the ruling BJP of failing to curb crime and deteriorating law and order in the state, during an adjournment motion moved by the Congress.

The Opposition launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led state government, accusing it of deteriorating law and order situation where criminals are roaming freely, extortion has become routine, and women live in fear. BJP, in turn, dismissed the charges and defended its record with statistics and details of stringent actions taken against gangsters.

Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal, opening the debate, alleged that crimes are being committed openly across the state and that the government has failed to instill fear of the law among criminals. She said liquor auctions in several districts could not be completed because of the dominance of gangsters and that extortion demands have become the new norm, with businessmen and contractors receiving ransom threats from gangs operating even inside jails.

According to her, shootouts and firing incidents are becoming everyday occurrences, children and women are unsafe, and harassment has reached alarming levels in educational institutions. She added that according to NCRB figures, Haryana has emerged as the number one state in crimes against women and children, though many incidents remain unreported.

Bhukkal cited chilling examples to underline her claims. In Jind, minor girls were shot dead, in Safidon a young man was killed, at Rohtak railway station a woman was gunned down, and in Kurukshetra a liquor contractor was murdered while travelling to Chandigarh.

She mentioned that in Sonipat, gangsters fired 13 rounds outside a liquor contractor's residence, while in Rohtak and Yamunanagar, traders were served extortion notices demanding five crore rupees each.

She added that even senior political leaders, such as Abhay Singh Chautala, had not been spared threats. She said this state of affairs is nothing short of lawlessness and that the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, was not even present in the House during such an important debate.

Congress MLA Ashok Arora added that on average, Haryana records 11 kidnappings, three murders and two rapes every day, figures that paint a grim picture of public safety. He warned that the state, once known for its peace and harmony, now lives under an atmosphere of fear. He claimed that businessmen, doctors, and traders no longer feel secure, and that many families have shifted relatives abroad for safety.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda linked the rise in crime to unemployment and rampant drug abuse, saying that threats and extortion are now openly carried out over phone calls. He referred to the Manish murder case where gangsters directly contacted the victim's family, warning that grain markets, hotels, and even schools are no longer safe zones.

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed said that minorities are being targeted under the present government, citing the mob lynching of a youth in Palwal and alleged harassment of Muslims in the name of illegal immigration. He accused the government of turning a blind eye to communal violence and said the situation had reached a point where even stones would shed tears at the plight of the people.

MLA BB Batra said that despite spending crores on the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, crimes against women are rising, and schools and colleges themselves have become places where harassment and even murders take place.

Independent statistics quoted by the Opposition showed Haryana ranks third nationally in murders, third in rapes, second in attempted rapes and first in kidnappings and crimes against children.

The ruling BJP, however, mounted a strong counterattack. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda accused the Congress of presenting a misleading and selective picture. He said that between 2014 and 2024, rape cases had declined by 7.37 per cent while murders, molestations and dowry deaths had gone down by 20 to 25 per cent.

He insisted that these were figures from the central government itself and dismissed the Congress claims as politically motivated. He detailed several measures taken by the government, including the establishment of women's police stations, the Durga Shakti App for women's safety, and the Special Task Force created in 2017 to combat organised crime.

According to him, 2,856 criminals have been arrested since then, and, since January this year alone, police have carried out 110 encounters in which 13 hardened gangsters were killed and 156 injured.

BJP MLA Shakti Rani Sharma accused the Congress of double standards, recalling the 2012 case under the then Congress regime in which two girl students were kidnapped, raped and murdered in Faridabad, and the investigation had to be handed over to the CBI.

She said it was the BJP that brought meaningful reforms such as women police stations and strict punishments for heinous crimes. Industry Minister Vipul Goel also accused the Congress of spreading falsehoods and stated that Haryana has become an investor's first choice today due to its strong law and order system.

He added that the government had banned gangster songs and blocked multiple social media accounts linked to criminals to stop the glorification of crime. Mining Minister Krishan Panwar contrasted the present regime's record with that of the Congress, stating that illegal mining was rampant earlier, whereas today the government earns over 500 crore annually from mining activities. (ANI)