Lucknow: National president of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Sunday condemned the Nitish Kumar government's move to release jailed ex-MP and strongman Anand Mohan as "anti-Dalit". Expressing her displeasure, Mayawati said the initiative will give a wrong message about Bihar government and alleged that rules were being tweaked to release the life convict.
Anand Mohan was accused over the death of Dalit IAS and Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah nearly two decades back. In 2007, the Patna High Court sentenced Anand Mohan, who was elected as MP from Seohar Lok Sabha seat, to death for abetting the crime. In 2008, the sentence was reduced to rigorous life imprisonment. Since then, Anand Mohan is in jail. He is currently out on payrole for his son's pre-wedding celebrations. His son is getting married on May 3.
Accusing Bihar government of tweaking rules to release Anand Mohan, Mayawati in a series of tweets asked Nitish Kumar government to reconsider the release. "The preparation to release Anand Mohan in the case of the brutal murder of Krishnaiah by changing the rules is in the news all over the country due to negative anti-Dalit reasons. Anand Mohan has been the compulsion of many governments in Bihar, but the anti-Dalit and pro-crime work of the Nitish government regarding the murder case of the then DM of Gopalganj Mr. Krishnaiah has caused a lot of anger in the Dalit society across the country. Even if there is some compulsion, the Bihar government must reconsider it," she tweeted.
On December 5, 1994, violence broke out over the funeral of gangster Chhotan Shukla, who was killed in a gang war a day back. An irate mob led by Anand Mohan thrashed and stoned G. Krishnaiah. He was dragged out of his car and lynched.
