Accusing the ruling NDA of sheltering criminals such as Mokama strongman Anant Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has said he would crack down on all criminals irrespective of caste and religion within two months of the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan coming to power in Bihar.
Speaking to the media after Anant Singh was arrested in connection with the murder of gangster-turned-politician Dular Singh Yadav, Tejashwi said this was bound to happen. “Bihar is living in the time of Maha Jungleraj. There is not a day in Bihar when bullets are not fired. I want to tell all of you that our government is going to be formed. On (November) 14th, results will be announced. On the 18th, the oath will be taken. And between 26th November and 26th January, irrespective of caste or religion, if someone is a criminal or a fraud, Tejashwi will send them to jail,” he said. “NDA shelters such people.”
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On the arrest of JDU’s Mokama candidate Anant Singh in the Dularchand Yadav murder case, Mahagathbandhan CM candidate and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “…This was bound to happen, but PM Modi is coming today, and you can see there is ‘maha jungle raaj’… pic.twitter.com/xIgNasRlVA
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2025
Anant Singh, who faces 28 criminal cases, including murder, is JDU’s candidate from Bihar’s Mokama constituency. A five-time MLA, he represented the seat from 2005 to 2022 before his conviction in a criminal case forced him to vacate it. His wife, Neelam Devi, is now the sitting RJD MLA from the seat. For this election, Anant Singh has switched to JDU. His arch-rival Suraj Bhan’s wife Veena Devi is the RJD candidate in Mokama. Over his two-decade dominance in Mokama, Anant Singh has represented both the RJD and the JDU and also contested polls as an Independent.
READ: Bihar ‘Bahubali’ Anant Singh: The Man In White With Dark Crimes To His Name
Tejashwi Yadav’s attack on the NDA has drawn a sharp response from Union Minister and BJP leader Nityanand Rai. “Tejashwi Yadav knows that all his people, including himself, are criminals who protect criminals. During Jungle Raj from 1990 to 2005, criminals got protection everywhere. The crime situation was such that people committing crimes like massacre, rape, murder, caste frenzy, robbery, took shelter in the houses of RJD ministers. Protecting criminals, practising nepotism, and grabbing the land of the poor, all this is in RJD’s nature.”
Jungle Raj is a term NDA leaders use to refer to RJD patriarch Lalu Yadav’s rule in Bihar, which saw a sharp rise in crime. RJD has now coined the word ‘Maha Jungle Raj’ to refer to the NDA’s rule.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On the statement of Mahagathbandhan CM candidate and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, “If the government had protected criminals, the action taken last night wouldn’t have happened. Our government is clear on one thing, and as… pic.twitter.com/2KLBL4gFY8
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2025
Hitting back at Tejashwi’s attack, BJP ally and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said the NDA government never protects criminals. “If the government protected criminals, the action taken last night wouldn’t have happened. Our government is clear on one thing, and as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says, we neither frame nor protect anyone. This is part of a judicial process,” he said.
Referring to Dular Singh Yadav’s murder as a “sad” incident, he assured that no crime would be forgiven. “This investigation is still on. Whoever the culprit is won’t be forgiven,” he said.
Asked about Tejashwi’s claim that he would take oath as Chief Minister on November 18 and crack down on criminals soon after, Paswan replied, “Such arrogance is not good. Who is making you (Chief Minister)? I believe NDA will form the government with an all-time high. It’s a united NDA this time. Even with a divided NDA, we had formed the government last time. The Mahagathbandhan is nowhere close to coming to power.”