Dehradun, Feb. 15 -- The state Congress on Saturday staged a protest around the state police headquarters in Dehradun over alleged deterioration of law and order in the state, a day after a gangster was shot dead by 3 unidentified men near a city mall. State party chief Ganesh Godiyal led a march from the party office on Raipur Road to the headquarters, where the delegation submitted a memorandum seeking "immediate and effective action against the daylight murders and the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttarakhand" to director general of police Deepam Seth. "The recent spate of murders in broad daylight in the capital and other cities of Uttarakhand, a state known as the Land of Gods, has shaken the entire state. These incidents have created an atmosphere of fear, insecurity and anger among common citizens. It is unfortunate that criminals appear emboldened and their fear of the law seems to be diminishing," Godiyal said. The Cong demanded special police operations in sensitive and crime-prone areas, strict and time bound action against organised crime and repeat offenders and high-level investigations into serious criminal incidents. The party also called for accountability within the police administration and disciplinary action in cases of negligence, along with visible measures to instil a sense of security among the public. Responding to the protest, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the opposition should refrain from politicising incidents related to law and order and added that the state government followed a zero-tolerance policy against crime. BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli said that people of the state have faith in the government because of "fair and decisive action against criminal elements". "This is not the time for politics. All parties should respond to such incidents with responsibility and sensitivity. Instead of indulging in blame-game politics before the investigation is complete, they should wait for the outcome of police action," said Chamoli....