Bihar elections: Sushil Modi trashes Nitish Kumar's claim on JD(U) MLA Anant Singh

PATNA: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today trashed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's assertions that he does not act on law and order issue under anybody's "pressure" and claimed JD(U) MLA Anant Singh's arrest was the result of RJD president Lalu Prasad's 'threat' to topple the government if the MLA was not arrested.

"Nitish Kumar is saying he does not act on law and order issue under anybody's pressure. Then he should answer why the same Anant Singh was not arrested in past 10 years of his rule despite his name cropping up in a dozen cases," Modi said in a statement.

"Arrest of Anant Singh came after RJD president Lalu Prasad threatened to topple the government if the MLA was not arrested in the wake of death of fellow caste-man Putush Yadav, who was among the four youths kidnapped by the MLA's men," he claimed.

He accused both Prasad and Kumar of adopting the policy of "use and throw" for the 'muscleman' MLA.

"Under pressure from the chief minister, the administration and police all along 10 years never dared to act against Anant Singh," he said and questioned "Is this rule of law under Nitish Kumar?"

The Mokama MLA recently inaugurated his mall in Patna defying a Patna High Court order and when he threatened to kill former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi following his revolt against Kumar, "why the government remained silent?" he asked.

Modi asked when former minister Parveen Amanullah was humiliated by Anant Singh when she had protested his bid of encroaching land of a park near her home "why did not Nitish Kumar speak?"

Kumar and Prasad are trying to project themselves as "martyrs now," Modi, who was Deputy Chief Minister during the NDA rule, said.