Patna, July 2: Jailed Mokama MLA Anant Singh today attacked RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his sons but resisted from saying anything against chief minister Nitish Kumar and the party leadership.
He called Lalu a " pareshan aur bechain (troubled)" man. "Lalu Prasad's two sons do not have brains. Pappu Yadav, who was with him earlier, has parted ways and will now cut into his votes. All this has left Lalu with difficulties aplenty," the MLA said while being taken back from Patna civil court to Beur Central Jail today.
Anant, who had been sent to 14 days' judicial custody in connection with an abduction case lodged in Bihta last year, was today produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Bharat Singh in connection with the 2008 murder of Sanjay Singh at a place under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station. Sanjay was the brother of Anant's arch-rival Viveka Singh Pahalwan, also lodged in Beur jail.
On Wednesday, the court had issued a production warrant against Anant in connection with the case.
After the hearing today, the court sent him in judicial custody until July 15.
Anant's party has cornered him after his arrest from his official residence in Patna on June 24, following a search operation at his house in which the men-in-uniform recovered three bullet magazines and a bloodstained cloth. This helped Nitish improve his law and order branding in front of people.
But when Lalu tried to give the impression that he had pressured Nitish to arrest Anant, the chief minister reacted by saying he had never worked under any kind of pressure. "I have never and never will work under any kind of pressure. As long as I am there, I will not let the law and order situation deteriorate in the state," he had said.
Party president Bashishtha Narayan Singh too said the party doesn't carry a discriminatory image and doesn't compromise on the issue of law and order.
After the Barh kidnapping and murder case surfaced, Lalu, whose RJD has entered into an alliance with the JDU for the upcoming Assembly polls, had opened a front against Anant, demanding his immediate arrest and action.
Four youths had been kidnapped and one among them, Futus Yadav, was killed. The police recovered the others. As all the youths belong to the Yadav community, Lalu immediately began his protest, pressurising Nitish to take action against the MLA, as he feared losing Yadav votes.
Pappu, too, locked horns with Anant for the same reason, demanding his arrest and a CBI probe into the incident.
Anant has had a long stint in the JDU and was known to fund the party and arrange crowds at party rallies.
Just last November, he had ensured over 50,000 attended the JDU's Adhikar Rally, besides arranging snacks for each of them. Patna police confirmed Anant's involvement in the Barh kidnap and murder case on June 29. His arrest has created unease between the alliance parties, party sources said.
But there are reasons behind Anant's "regard" for Nitish even when he has been cornered, sources said. After all, only the state government can provide him any behind-the-scenes help.
And Anant must be hoping for it, considering that he has been in the party for long and helped it in many ways.
He had strongly sided with Nitish during the latter's bitter battle with Jitan Ram Manjhi.
So, speaking against Nitish at this hour can do him more harm than good.
Lalu Prasad and Pappu Yadav, who do not belong to the JDU, had attacked him after the case surfaced against him and so he is targeting them, sources said.
