Patna, Apr 26 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi slammed Nitish Kumar government for releasing 26 ferocious criminals in name of former lawmaker Anand Mohan Singh by amending the state's prison rules.

Singh was serving life sentence in the 1994 murder of an IAS officer.

Sushil Modi said that Nitish Kumar is "deliberately releasing them to influence voters during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections".

"I have no objection with Anand Mohan Singh but the Nitish Kumar government amended the rules to release 26 dreaded criminals... Seven of the criminals have been asked to make attendance in their local police stations... Nitish Kumar government released them selectively to take help in Lok Sabha poll," the Bihar BJP leader said.

Sushil Modi alleged that Nitish Kumar was instrumental in sending Singh to jail.

"He (Nitish Kumar) was the one who had taken action against Anand Mohan. I was the one who demanded for his (Anand Mohan's) release," the BJP leader said.

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav to give their reactions on this decision of the Nitish Kumar government," he asserted.

"Government officials are scared following the Nitish government's move. Majority of these criminals were involved in murders and some of them were also involved in the murders of government officials. It would encourage trends of killing persons including government officials and walking free after serving 10-12 years in jail on the basis of 'good conduct'," Sushil Modi added.

Nitish government made the law in 2016 to not to release any accused who are involved heinous crimes like rape-cum-murder, murder during dacoity and murder of government officials. Now, it has amended its own law," he said.