RJD Leader Tejashwi Yadav said, Choudhary, former vice chancellor of an agricultural university and minister for the first time, faces serious charges under India’s Penal Code including cheating and dishonesty (section 420) and criminal conspiracy (120B).
“Has Prime Minister Nitish Kumar awarded Mewalal Choudhary for corruption and given him the freedom to loot?” he asked in a tweet.
Choudhary, 67, was suspended from the Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) in 2017 after an FIR was filed against him for alleged irregularities in appointments during his tenure as Vice Chancellor of Bihar University of Agriculture, Sabour en the Bhagalpur district.
The FIR was registered against him in February of that year on the basis of a report by the then VC on some anomalies in the appointment of assistant professors and young scientists.
BJP who was in the opposition during the ministry of the Grand Alliance then had strongly raised the issue against Choudhary.
Chaudhary had left work to contest the 2015 Bihar elections with a JD (U) ticket and was elected from the Tarapur assembly headquarters in Munger district. He retained his seat in the recently concluded state elections and was appointed Minister of Education.
The investigation has brought to light alleged irregularities in the appointment of 161 assistant professors and young scientists in 2012.
Tejashwi also attacked the new NDA government for not appointing any Muslims to the cabinet.
They’ve made a defendant, eloping in several cases of corruption, the Minister of Education. But there is no minister from the minority community, Tejashwi said.
RJD Supreme Lalu Prasad, who is jailed in fodder scam cases, tweeted that while his son Tejashwi was committed to signing 10 lakhs of jobs at his first cabinet meeting, should he win power, Nitish made clear his priorities when incorporating a person facing corruption charges into your cabinet.
“Look at the irony, the BJP who was attacking JD (U) for Mewalal so far, is silent today,” Prasad tweeted in Hindi.
तेजस्वी जहाँ पहली कैबिनेट में पहली कलम से 10 लाख नौकरियाँ देने को प्रतिबद्ध था वहीं नीतीश ने पहली कैबिनेट में नियु… https://t.co/Cyt6kxDCv6
– Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) 1605678609000
While in jail, Prasad’s Twitter account is operated by his office in consultation with his family.
CPI-ML Secretary of State Kunal said his party, which has 12 MLAs, will protest against Choudhary from the first day of the first session of the new assembly, which is November 23.
“We want Nitish Kumar to fire him (Choudhary),” he told PTI.
He said Choudhary’s appointment as education minister “is an insult to the people of Bihar.”
Criticizing the chief minister for his repeated claims that he will not tolerate the crime of the three Cs, communalism and corruption, Kunal said: “You keep talking about the three Cs, so what is this? You had suspended it yourself. the case against him is still ongoing. And you’ve turned a corrupt man into a minister of education. ”
“We are asking other Mahagathbandhan allies to join our protest. Our student wings will also protest against him,” Kunal said.
MLC and AICC Congressional media panelist Prem Chandra Mishra also tweeted against Choudhary.
“By making someone like Mewalal Choudhary a Minister of Education, Chief Minister @NitishKumar himself has tarnished his image and damaged his political reputation,” Mishra tweeted with the hashtag ‘Sack Mewalal’ in Hindi.
While the minister was not available for comment, his personal assistant Abhishek Kumar said only the courts would decide whether he was guilty.
“The minister has to say that the courts are supreme,” Abhishek told PTI. “And if there is a case, only the court can decide whether someone is guilty or not. There is no need to say anything when the case is sub-judice.”
When asked if the JD (U) suspended Chouhary was an admission of guilt, Abhishek said: “This is the party’s rule that if you face any charges, you are asked to (leave) for some time.”
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