Union MSME Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday publicly criticised Mokama MLA Anant Singh over his controversial remark linking 'nine murders' to his support for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding a formal inquiry and appropriate action against the legislator. The demand adds fresh political pressure on the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has so far stopped short of any disciplinary move against Singh.

What Manjhi Said

'If Anant Singh claims that he committed murders to help Nitish Kumar, then he has acted wrongly. If he truly wanted to help, he should have done so through positive actions. I demand an inquiry into his statement, followed by appropriate action against him,' Manjhi said.

The remarks from Manjhi — a key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally in Bihar — signal that the controversy is unlikely to be contained within the JD-U alone. His intervention raises the political stakes at a particularly sensitive moment, with Bihar Legislative Council elections generating internal tensions within the ruling coalition.

The Original Remark and Singh's Clarification

The controversy erupted after Singh, speaking to the media on Friday, made statements about the personal sacrifices he claimed to have made while backing Nitish Kumar. His comments were widely reported as a claim that he had orchestrated nine murders for the benefit of the JD-U leader.

Facing swift political backlash, Singh held a press conference in Patna, insisting his words had been misinterpreted. He clarified that he was referring to the killing of nine of his own aides after he aligned himself with Nitish Kumar — not that he had arranged those deaths. Singh recounted that he was also shot at during that turbulent period.

According to Singh, his association with Nitish Kumar dates back to when Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav were political allies. He said Nitish Kumar had helped secure an Assembly election ticket for his brother by speaking to Lalu Prasad Yadav. Singh added that he subsequently left Lalu Prasad's party to stand by Nitish Kumar, and that the personal costs of that loyalty were severe.

JD-U's Cautious Response

Janata Dal-United National Working President Sanjay Jha said the party had taken note of both Singh's original statement and his subsequent clarification. He added that the party's Bihar unit was closely monitoring developments. Notably, the JD-U has not announced any disciplinary action against Singh as of Saturday.

The muted response from the JD-U leadership contrasts with the sharper reaction from Manjhi, underscoring the delicate balancing act the party faces — Singh is a prominent and influential legislator from Mokama, and any action against him carries its own political risks.

Broader Political Context

The episode surfaces amid simmering internal tensions within the JD-U over the Bihar Legislative Council elections. Singh had earlier questioned the contributions of JD-U leader Neeraj Kumar, framing his own record of sacrifice as a contrast. The remark, intended or otherwise, has reopened questions about loyalty, political violence, and accountability within Bihar's complex coalition politics.

With Manjhi now formally demanding an inquiry, the pressure on both the JD-U and Bihar's law enforcement agencies to respond is likely to intensify in the coming days.