Bihar's Newly Appointed Education Minister Mewalal Choudhary Quits After Facing Flak For His 'Scam-Tainted' Image

Choudhary, who was allegedly facing corruption charges in the recruitment of assistant professors and scientists, was appointed education minister in the newly formed cabinet of the NDA government.

Bihar: After being caught in the eye of a storm soon after his appointment, Nitish Kumar's new Education Minister Mewa Lal Choudhary has resigned from his post, days after taking oath. Choudhary resigned from his post after meeting Kumar. He had officially taken charge of the ministry earlier in the day, but stepped down within hours.

The new inning for Nitish Kumar, who is now a CM but with a diminished strength, is having a jittery start as the government had to face the fire for appointing the scam tainted MLA as education minister. Choudhary, who was allegedly facing corruption charges in the recruitment of assistant professors and scientists, was appointed education minister in the newly formed cabinet of the NDA government.

He was was elected from Tarapur Assembly seat in Munger district.

Opposition took up the issue of Mewalal's appointment quite seriously. Former CM Lalu Prasad said in a tweet : "While Tejashwi had promised to give 10 lakh jobs through first signature in first cabinet meeting, Nitish Kumar has given priority to a tainted MLA in first cabinet and made him minister..."

Earlier on Tuesday, Tejashwi had tweeted about the minister: "The CM has made a fugitive involved in many corruption cases the education minister...Despite these facts, the CM will continue preaching on crime, corruption and communalism."

What are the charges against Mewalal?

Choudhary, 67, was suspended from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) in 2017 after an FIR was registered against him over alleged irregularities in appointments during his tenure as the Vice Chancellor of the Bihar Agriculture University,Sabour in Bhagalpur district. The FIR was registered against him in February that year on the basis of a report by the then VC over some anomalies in the appointment of Assistant Professors and junior scientists.

BJP which was in the opposition during the Grand Alliance ministry then had strongly raised the issue against Choudhary.