Former Bihar deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi slammed the state government led by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday (25 April) for releasing former MP Anand Mohan Singh. He declared a strike against the government, claiming that the government amended the law earlier in 2016 to state that those found guilty of killing a government official will never be eligible for remission and that the government has now amended the law once more for their own benefit so that they can win the election.
This comes as the Bihar government announced the release of 27 prisoners today, just days after amending the Bihar Prison Manual, which sparked a massive opposition backlash. Former MP Anand Mohan Singh, who was convicted in the 1994 murder of bureaucrat G Krishnaiah, is among those who will be released.
He further said that the government's decision is unconstitutional, adding that "this decision is against the people and Dalit community and has been taken with the election in mind."
G Krishnaiah, the then-District Magistrate of Gopalganj, was assassinated by a mob allegedly provoked by Anand Mohan Singh. A lower court in Bihar sentenced the gangster-turned-politician to death in 2007. However, the Patna High Court commuted it to life imprisonment, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012.
The Bihar government removed a clause earlier this month that prohibited the remission of jail term for those convicted of murdering a public servant while on duty.
ALSO READ | Bihar Govt Issues Notification To Release Former Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan Singh From Jail
Bihar Tweaks Prison Rules:
The state's law department stated in its notification that the new rules apply to prisoners who have served the actual sentence of 14 years or a sentence of 20 years with remission.
"In light of the Bihar state sentence remission council meeting on April 20, a decision was made for the release of prisoners who have served actual sentences of 14 years or sentences of 20 years with remission," according to the notification.
The amendment to the Bihar prison manual benefits Anand Mohan Singh, a Rajput leader with significant clout among his caste's voters.
Several Rajput politicians have been calling for Singh's early release for the past two years. Even Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has hinted that he "stands by his former colleague" on multiple occasions.
ALSO READ | 'Bihar Govt's Prison Rule Tweak As Per Court Order': RJD's Anand Mohan Justifies Release From Jail
Here's How Political Sphere Reacted:
The rule change and the release of Anand Mohan Singh have sparked widespread outrage, with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) labelling the rule change as "anti-Dalit."
Nitish Kumar was also chastised by Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT Cell. "Can someone who relies on a criminal syndicate to maintain power be the face of India, even as opposition leader?" On Monday, Malviya tweeted.
The ruling Janata Dal (United) hit back at the BJP, calling it a "B-team in UP" and referring to Mayawati as a "B-team in UP." In a tweet, JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh stated that the rule change was intended to put the common man and special prisoners on a level playing field.