Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar’s Leader of the Opposition, unleashed a fierce critique of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, accusing him of failing to curb escalating crime in the state.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader pointed to the recent murder of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Santosh Kumar Singh in Munger as evidence of a collapsing law and order system under Kumar, who also oversees the Home Ministry. “Criminals are running rampant while the government sleeps. The CM is unconscious, and even police are falling victim,” Yadav said, referencing another police killing in Araria within the week.

Yadav lambasted the state’s handling of rising crimes—murders, rapes, robberies—claiming weak police investigations allow criminals to evade justice, often securing bail due to insufficient evidence. He further criticized ruling party leaders, including Kumar, for neglecting victims’ families. “Nitish Kumar cares only about clinging to power, not governance,” he charged.

The flashpoint came with ASI Singh’s death in Munger. On Friday night, Singh, part of a ‘DIAL 112’ team, responded to a disturbance in Nandlalpur village caused by an inebriated Ranveer Kumar. When Singh intervened, Ranveer, Guddu, and their kin attacked the police with sharp weapons, fracturing Singh’s skull.

Critically injured, he was rushed to a private hospital, then referred to Patna, where he succumbed on Saturday morning. A resident of Kaimur, Singh had served at Mufassil police station for a year. His body underwent post-mortem in Munger before being sent home, honored with a guard of honour by police officials, including the Munger DIG and SP.