Death sentences and life imprisonment awarded to JD(U) leader Anand Mohan and others for the murder of Gopalgunj DM G Krishnaiah has given a fresh thrust to rebel activities against the Nitish Kumar Government. After meeting the party leaders in jail, NDA Convener and rebel JD(U) leader George Fernandes on Sunday declared that Nitish Kumar should go.

“This Government should go. In fact, it should have gone much earlier,” declared Fernandes alleging that the convicted JD(U) leaders were ill-treated inside the jail. Fernandes and other rebel JD(U) MLAs and leaders met Anand Mohan and others inside the jail on Sunday to express solidarity. The rebel JD(U) leaders said they would raise the issue among the masses and “unmask” the Nitish Kumar Government.

The interesting aspect of the visit, however, was the presence of Rajput caste MLAs cutting across party lines. Around half a dozen MLAs of the caste representing the JD(U), BJP and LJP accompanied Fernandes and expressed solidarity with Anand Mohan—who during the early nineties had emerged as the tallest leader of the Rajputs. JD(U) MLAs Neeraj Kumar Bablu (Raghopur) and Jay Kumar Singh (Bikramganj) and Ashok Kumar Singh (Paru) were accompanied by Subhash Kumar Singh (Gopalgunj) of the BJP and Achutanand Singh (Mahnar) from Ramvilas Paswan’s LJP.

Last Friday, Bhumihar leaders cutting across party lines had met JD(U) MLA Munna Shukla in the civil court. They came out in protest when Shukla—awarded life imprisonment in the DM murder case—was brought to the court in handcuffs. Shukla complained to them about the ill-treatment being meted out inside the jail.

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