Rahul Gandhi demands strict action against those involved in murder of VIP chief's father

New Delhi: Condemning the brutal murder of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani's father, the Congress on Tuesday urged the Bihar government to ensure severe punishment to the culprits and provide justice to the Sahni family.

Jitan Sahani, father of party chief Mukesh Sahani, was found murdered at his ancestral home in Bihar's Darbhanga district, police said on Tuesday.

Jitan Sahani's body, with several stab injuries and cut marks on his chest and stomach, was found inside his room at his house in the Biraul area this morning.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "The brutal murder of Shri Jitan Sahni, father of Shri Mukesh Sahni, founder of Vikassheel Insaan Party in Bihar and former state minister, is extremely sad and condemnable." "We express our deepest condolences to his family. May God give them the strength to bear this loss," Kharge said.

बिहार में विकासशील इंसान पार्टी के संस्थापक व राज्य के पूर्व मंत्री, श्री मुकेश सहनी जी के पिताजी, श्री जीतन सहनी जी की निर्मम हत्या बेहद दुखद व निंदनीय है।

हम उनके परिवारजनों को गहरी संवेदनाएँ व्यक्त करते हैं। ईश्वर उनको यह दुख सहने की शक्ति प्रदान करे।

हम माँग करते हैं कि…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 16, 2024

"We demand that strict action be taken against the culprits at the earliest and that our INDIA bloc partner, Sahani ji, should get justice," the Congress chief said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the news of the brutal murder of Jitan Sahani is "extremely painful".

"I express my condolences to Mukesh ji and his entire family and strongly condemn this heinous crime.

"It is expected from the Bihar government that it should take immediate action and give severe punishment to the murderers and provide justice to the Sahani family," Gandhi said.

विकासशील इंसान पार्टी के संस्थापक, बिहार के पूर्व मंत्री और INDIA के हमारे साथी श्री मुकेश सहनी जी के पिता श्री जीतन सहनी जी की निर्मम हत्या का समाचार अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है।

मुकेश जी और उनके समस्त परिवार को अपनी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं और इस निंदनीय अपराध की कड़ी भर्त्सना करता…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 16, 2024

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the murder is highly condemnable.

"My condolences are with Mukesh Sahni ji and his family in this hour of grief. May God give peace to the departed soul. This horrific incident shows that law and order has completely collapsed in Bihar and no one is safe in this jungle raj," she said in a post in Hindi on X.

विकासशील इंसान पार्टी के प्रमुख और बिहार सरकार के पूर्व मंत्री मुकेश सहनी जी के पिता श्री जीतन सहनी जी की हत्या की घटना बेहद निंदनीय है।

इस दुःख की घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएं मुकेश सहनी जी एवं उनके परिवार के साथ हैं। ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करें।

यह खौफनाक घटना दिखाती…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 16, 2024

There should be prompt and strict action against the culprits, Priyanka Gandhi said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the district police has been constituted to investigate the matter, the Darbhanga Police said in a statement.

A former minister in the Bihar government, Mukesh Sahani heads the VIP, which is an alliance partner of the INDIA bloc.

Cutting across party lines, leaders of all political parties condemned the incident.