Anand Mohan Singh - Baahubali-Neta Who Is At Centre Of Political Storm In Bihar

The scheduled release of gangster-turned-neta, Anand Mohan, who was serving life imprisonment in murder case of an IAS officer, has kicked off a storm in Bihar politics. Founder of the now-defunct Bihar People's Party (BPP), Anand Mohan Singh was convicted in the year 1994 over the murder of then Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah, who was killed by a mob allegedly provoked by the former. 

Anand Mohan Singh - a big name in Bihar politics - was one of the co-founders of the Samata Party along with Nitish Kumar. The strongman is the grandson of noted freedom fighter Ram Bahadur Singh Tomar.  Singh, 69, is active in Bihar politics since the year 1990. He was elected as an MLA in the same year from Saharsa constituency. Singh, who was touted as the top Rajput community leader in Bihar, became an MP from Saharsa constituency while he was in jail.

Political Family 

Anand Mohan Singh belongs to noted freedom fighter Bahadur Singh Tomar's family. His wife, Lovely Tomar, had fought the Assembly election on a Hindustani Awam Morcha (Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's party) ticket in the year 2015, but lost. Lovely had also fought and won Vaishali bye-polls in the year 1994. Anand Mohan's son, Chetan Anand, is a sitting RJD MLA, whose wedding is scheduled to be May 3. 

IAS G Krishnaiah's murder and conviction of Anand Mohan

G Krishnaiah, the then District Magistrate of Gopalganj, was killed by a mob allegedly provoked by Anand Mohan Singh in the year 1994. The mob was protesting with the body of Chhotan Shukla, a gangster turned politician of Anand Mohan's party. Krishnaiah, in shocking incident, was dragged out of his official vehicle in broad daylight and lynched to death.

Why the controversy? 

In 2016, Nitish Kumar amended the Bihar Prison Manual 2012, but now he has withdrawn his own amendment. The amendment removed the clause forbidding the remission of jail term for those convicted of murdering a public servant on duty. Political rivals are saying that the amendment was withdrawn with an intent to provide remission to Anand Mohan. 

G Krishnaiah's Wife Slams Release

Krishnaiah`s wife Uma Devi has expressed her displeasure over the development. She further alleged that Singh is being released from jail just to get "Rajput votes" as there is "caste politics in Bihar." Speaking to ANI, Uma Devi said, "We are not happy, we feel it is wrong. There is caste politics in Bihar, he is a Rajput, so he will get Rajput votes. Otherwise, what is the need of releasing a criminal? He will be given an election ticket so that he can bring Rajput votes."