PATNA: For CM Nitish Kumar, who was responsible for keeping the criminal-turned-politician and the “terror of Siwan” in jail for over 11 years and ensured his conviction in eight criminal cases, Shahabuddin’s release from Bhagalpur jail on bail in September 2016 posed grave political perils.
Shahabuddin, a four-term former MP of Siwan who is a major RJD leader with political influence in western Bihar, indicated his plans to undermine Nitish’s authority soon after his release.
When two petitions filed by the kin of Shahabuddin’s victims reached the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of his bail granted by Patna High Court, the Bihar government filed a petition without caring for RJD’s resistance. Shahabuddin was shifted from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi on February 18.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is keen on ensuring Shahabuddin’s freedom and his political resurgence for his “air-tight hold” hold on Muslim votes. In April 2016, Lalu named Shahabuddin as a member of RJD’s national executive despite the jailed leader’s convictions in eight cases and pending trial in over 30 others.
“Nitish Kumar and Lalu together want to push Bihar back to the days of jungle raj that defined the state during RJD rule before the BJP-JD(U) government came to power in 2005. We will not let it happen,” said BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi.