Bike-borne men snatch Chhattisgarh BJP MLA's mobile phone during morning walk; Congress slams govt over law and order

Senior Chhattisgarh BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik was robbed of his mobile phone by unidentified motorcycle-borne men during his morning walk in Raipur on Monday, triggering a political row over law and order.

The Opposition Congress targeted the BJP government over the incident and called it "a slap on the state's so-called good governance". Congress pointed out that the incident occurred during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's three-day visit to the state.

According to the police, motorcycle-borne thieves snatched Kaushik's mobile phone while he was walking alone on a PWD flyover under the Civil Lines police station limits.

After being alerted, the police rushed to the area and began scanning CCTV footage from nearby locations to identify and trace the accused, an official said.

Speaking to reporters, former assembly speaker Kaushik confirmed the incident and said he had informed the police, and they are investigating.

Slamming the state government, former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a post on X, said the incident, which occurred during a morning walk while the country's Home Minister Amit Shah is in Chhattisgarh, is "a slap on the face of so-called good governance".

"Incidents of theft, stabbing, murder, and robbery are at their peak everywhere. Meanwhile, the state's most incompetent Home Minister is busy with reels and receptions," he wrote.

In another post, Baghel shared the live programme link of Shah's flagging off 'CG Dial 112' emergency response service vehicle in Raipur from Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's handle, and wrote, "Here you keep flagging off 'Dial 112', while thieves snatched Dharam Lal Kaushik ji's mobile and escaped".

Shah is on a three-day visit to Chhattisgarh to attend a series of programmes and chair a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Bastar.

(With PTI inputs)