Newly sworn-in Bihar education minister, facing corruption allegations, resigns

JD(U) MLA and newly appointed Education Minister of Bihar Mewalal Choudhury on Thursday resigned from his post following allegations of corruption against him. Choudhary was among the 14 ministers who were sworn in on November 16 as part of the Nitish Kumar's new term as Bihar chief minister.

Choudhary was suspended from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) government in 2017 over alleged irregularities in appointments during his tenure as the vice-chancellor of the Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour in Bhagalpur district. JD(U) leader Ajay Alok tweeted: "Our Education Minister has resigned. We have followed the highest standards of public conduct. Will Tejashwi Yadav also set an example? Will he resign? There are allegations against Rabri Ji. She should also resign."

"An accusation is proven only when a charge sheet is filed or a court gives an order and none of the two is there to prove the allegations against me," Choudhary said on corruption charges levelled against him. Earlier in the day, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, while addressing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, tweeted: "You made a corrupt leader a minister. Even after public criticism, you got him to take the oath as minister. Within some time you staged his resignation. You are the real culprit. Why did you make him a minister? Your dual character and acting would not be allowed to continue." Choudhary is an MLA from Tarapur who was suspended from the JD(U) in 2017 but was re-inducted later.