Asaduddin Owaisi Slams Nitish Kumar Over Release Of Murder Convict Ex-MP

Slamming the Nitish Kumar government for the release of former MP Anand Mohan Singh who was convicted for his role in the murder of IAS officer G Krishnaiah in Bihar, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday demanded that the State government withdraw its decision.

He asked whether Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is visiting other States in the country claiming himself to be the Prime Ministerial candidate, would give the message that his government has released a man who is convicted for the murder of a Dalit officer. Krishnaiah hailed from Telangana.

Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh, who was serving a life sentence, was released from Saharsa jail in Bihar today after being behind bars for 15 years.

Owasi described the Bihar government's decision to release Singh as the murder of Krishnaiah for the "second time".

It is regrettable that the IAS Officers' Association in Bihar is silent on the issue, Owaisi said while addressing mediapersons here.

He asked as to why the prison rules have been amended to release one person.

The AIMIM president said he hopes that Nitish Kumar who used to claim that he would not compromise on corruption and criminal justice would rethink on his decision.

Owaisi said a wrong message is being given to the weaker sections, especially Dalits, and to public servants in the State with the government's move. "We demand that the Bihar government withdraw its decision," he said.

The government's decision shows that the parties in power release such people from prisons for their political benefit whether it is BJP government in Gujarat or Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, he claimed.

Saying that Krishnaiah's wife stands alone today seeking justice for the murder of her husband, he said where is the social justice that Nitish Kumar and RJD talk about.

When asked that no major political party in Bihar appears to be voicing opposition to the move, he alleged that the upper caste MPs in BJP are not opening their mouth. "What was done in the case of Bilkis Bano, you have done the same thing here by letting off the killers of Krishnaiah," he said.

Singh was released under a jail sentence remission order after the State government's recent amendment of prison rules which allowed the early release of 27 convicts, including him.

The former MP was convicted for his role in the 1994 murder of the then Gopalganj Collector Krishnaiah during the funeral procession of Muzaffarpur gangster Chotan Shukla.

Owaisi said he would visit Uttar Pradesh in connection with the local body polls where his party is contesting.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)