He may be one of India’s most infamous politicians convicted for murder, but former RJD MP Pappu Yadav has taken the unlikely step of supporting Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare’s ongoing campaign against corruption by an indefinite fast inside Patna’s Beur Jail.
Pappu Yadav, a dreaded criminal-turned-politician and former MP from Madhepura who has been convicted for Purnea CPI(M) legislator Ajit Sarkar’s murder in 1998, began his indefinite fast in jail, where he is currently serving a life sentence, the day Hazare began his indefinite fast in New Delhi.
Beur Jail sources said on Thursday that Yadav had since been refusing to take food but that his condition is stable and under constant medical attention.
Although the four-term MP, whose real name is Rajesh Ranjan, surprised both jail authorities and the inmates alike by deciding to show solidarity with Hazare’s campaign by a fast, those who know him from close quarters described his action as another of his desperate efforts to grab attention and remain socio-politically relevant.
Mr Yadav’s efforts to formally join the Congress last year sparked controversy.