Bihar Education Minister Mewa Lal Chaudhary has submitted his resignation just 3 days after he was appointed as the minister in the newly formed Nitish Kumar govt. The resignation came following allegations of corruption relating to the appointments during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University.
Bihar minister Mewa Lal Chaudhary resigns as he was facing graft allegations in appointments as VC of Bihar Agricultural University: Officials
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 19, 2020
After Mewa Lal Chaudhary was inducted into the ministry, opposition parties in the state had slammed the decision and had demanded that he should be removed for the post due to allegations of corruption against him. Mewalal Choudhary is allegedly facing corruption charges in the recruitment of assistant professors and scientists at Bihar Agricultural University.
Corruption convict Lalu Prasad Yadav had taken a dig at the Nitish Kumar for inducting someone accused in recruitment scam.
Leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav also slammed the govt for making Mewa Lal Chaudhary the education minister, who is facing several charges of corruption.
Opposition leaders also pointed out how BJP leader had demanded arrest of Chaudhary a few years ago.
Denying the accusations levelled against him, Chaudhary said that an accusation was only proved on the filing of charge sheet or after the order of a court but none was there against him. He was suspended in 2017 from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) after an FIR was registered against him over alleged irregularities in appointments during his term as the Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University.
Chaudhary’s struggle with the national anthem
Along with corruption charges, Chaudhary had also to face embarrassment for struggling to recite the national anthem after he was inducted in the Bihar ministry. A video of Mewa Lal Chaudhary has been doing rounds on social media in which he can be seen singing the national anthem incorrectly. In the video, Chaudhary is standing next to the national flag and singing the national anthem fumbling at times. He even added few random words to the national anthem and then ended it abruptly.
भ्रष्टाचार के अनेक मामलों के आरोपी बिहार के शिक्षा मंत्री मेवालाल चौधरी को राष्ट्रगान भी नहीं आता।
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) November 18, 2020
नीतीश कुमार जी शर्म बची है क्या? अंतरात्मा कहाँ डुबा दी? pic.twitter.com/vHYZ8oRUVZ
The video was shared on Twitter yesterday by the official handle of Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD). The RJD mocked Chaudhary for not knowing the national anthem and lashed out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asking, “Do you have any shame left, Nitish Kumar Ji? Where is your conscience?”