Ranchi, Oct 30 (IANS): Jharkhand Food and Supply Minister Saryu Rai has slammed his own government over the law and order situation in Jamshedpur, the hometown of Chief Minister Raghubar Das.

"Criminals' morale has strengthened like jungle raj. Our workers are killed by being hit on the head with bricks and shot dead in broad daylight. If the ruling party workers are killed this way, the morale of criminals will be boosted," he told reporters.

"There is a need to find out whether there is a political angle or something else," Rai said in Jamshedpur.

Rai is a legislator from West Jamshedpur and the chief minister from East Jamshedpur.

On Thursday, a BJP leader was shot dead in Jamshedpur.

Police said Chotu Pandit, a local leader of the ruling BJP was shot by unidentified bike-riding criminals, in Jamshedpur's Mango locality.

He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

Three days earlier a trader was shot in Jamshedpur and he is recuperating in a hospital.

Jharkhand has witnessed a surge in crime this year in comparison to the previous year.

As per official figures, seven cases of bank dacoities have been reported this year so far.

In 2014, only one bank robbery was reported despite the fact that the state had Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

As for rape cases, 905 such cases were reported till August this year compared to 792 in the same period in 2014.

Some 261 kidnapping cases were registered till August 1 this year compared to 996 from January to August 2014.