PATNA: JD(U)’s muscle-flexing legislator Anant Singh sparked a major controversy on Friday by claiming “murder of nine persons” for his mentor and former CM Nitish Kumar, a statement that he backtracked shortly thereafter amid wide condemnation from the party and the opposition.It all happened when Anant Singh, a six-time party legislator, apparently lost track and got carried away amid a political rift over the Patna Graduates’ MLC election, with the MLA backing Prashant Kishor’s candidate against JD(U)’s Neeraj Kumar.“Who has made so many sacrifices as I have? Nitish Kumar was nothing back then; he used to roam around here and there. At that time, while being with Nitish Kumar, I got nine people murdered,” he said, talking to the media earlier in the day.However, he soon backtracked from his revelation as the video of his statement went viral, inviting wide condemnations from various quarters.“During the Lalu Prasad regime, nine of my associates were killed, and I myself was shot. It was because we aligned ourselves with Nitish Kumar that Lalu had them killed. We have suffered such immense losses. My father also passed away due to a heart attack,” he told the media later in the day.Reacting sharply to the Mokama MLA’s revelation, the RJD sought a detailed reply from Nitish. “Anant Singh has publicly confessed to killing nine persons during the NDA regime. Now Nitish will have to offer explanations,” RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said in a video statement on Friday.“Although he (Anant) has confessed to his involvement in nine murders, the responsibility straightaway goes to Nitish regime…Is pap se chhutkara nahin milekga (There will be no escape from this sin),” Yadav stated.Refusing to dive into the murder controversy, the JD(U) said the incident doesn’t deserve debates. “Anant’s statement is the reflection of his frustration,” JD(U) spokesperson Shyam Rajak said.
