Ahmedabad: Slamming the police for failing to trace missing children from Gujarat, former chief minister and BJP dissident leader Keshubhai Patel on Thursday alleged that law and order situation in the state has deteriorated.
"So many children across the state have gone missing and state police is still clueless even after almost six months. This is the proof of deteriorating law and order situation in the state," Keshubhai said, after meeting some parents of the missing children.
Keshubhai paid a visit to two families whose children, Vishwa Patel (11) and Ronak Panchal (12) have been missing and expressed his sympathies towards them. He was accompanied by Mahagujarat Janta Party leader Gordhan Zadfia.
"I am moved by their pain, more particularly when these parents were not even allowed to meet the chief minister the other day and police treated them as if they are some terrorists," he said after meeting the parents who are spearheading a campaign to find their missing kids.
As per police records, in the past six months about 750 children, mostly in their teens, went missing and out of those around 83 are from Ahmedabad.
Last week when parents of missing kids tried to take out a rally and meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi, police had detained them before they started procession from the city.
"The present government has become insensitive and rigid towards the sentiments of parents who just want their loved ones back home. This situation is very serious for the state," Patel alleged.
"When the state doesn't have a full time DGP, what more you can expect from the police," he said while pointing out the fact that present state police chief Chitranjan Singh is appointed as in-charge DGP.
"The present CM is promoting only those officers who are willing to toe his line," he alleged.
He also assured parents to try his best to pressurise the police and government to take result-oriented efforts in finding out the missing children.
Patel had recently opened a front against Modi saying that the situation in Gujarat was worse then in case of Emergency.
He said that he along with other dissident leaders will make an announcement about their next plan on how to take on Modi in the coming state elections.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, July 05, 2012, 16:16