Rule of law has collapsed in Maharashtra, 'goonda raj' under BJP rule: Kharge

'The Congress always maintained law and order in Maharashtra and only then the economic development of the state became possible,' Kharge said.

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday attacked the BJP over incidents in Maharashtra where a leader was recently shot dead during a Facebook Live session and the car of a journalist assaulted, alleging that law and order have "collapsed" and "goonda raj" was evident under the Eknath Shinde-led government.

Former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar (40), son of Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar, was shot dead by local businessman and social activist Mauris Noronha during the Facebook Live session on Thursday evening. Noronha later killed himself, according to police.

Earlier, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad shot and injured a local leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena at a police station in Ulhasnagar near Mumbai on February 2 over a land dispute and political rivalry.

Also, the car of journalist Nikhil Wagle was attacked on Friday allegedly by BJP workers in Pune while he was travelling to attend an event

In a post on X in Hindi, Kharge said, "Law and order has collapsed under the Maharashtra government formed by the BJP's stealing of mandate."

"A politician is being brutally murdered on Facebook Live. An outspoken journalist is being attacked by unruly goons of the BJP-RSS. A BJP MLA is openly shooting at another politician in the police station," Kharge said.

"The Congress always maintained law and order in Maharashtra and only then the economic development of the state became possible."

"But the BJP government formed with the force of the Enforcement Directorate is playing with the security of the people of Maharashtra by spreading 'goonda raj'," the Congress president said.