Patna, Sep 19 (PTI) Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Friday wondered how Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary possessed a D-Litt degree without clearing the class 10 exams.
Kishor also accused JD(U) national general secretary and state minister Ashok Choudhary of indulging in corrupt practices and purchasing land worth Rs 200 crore in the last three years through “dubious and illegal” means.
Addressing a press conference here, the former poll strategist attacked leaders of the state’s NDA government ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
“I must say that the leaders of the saffron party in the state are more corrupt than RJD president Lalu Prasad. The RJD is out of power because of its leaders’ misdeeds,” he claimed.
Alleging that BJP leaders are worse than Prasad, he first singled out the deputy chief minister.
“Choudhary, who is a master in changing his names, was an accused in a murder case in 1998 but was later released as he turned out to be a minor. He also claims he possesses a D.Litt degree from California University in the USA. But when did he pass his class 10th exam? He did not,” Kishor alleged.
Choudhary, a member of the legislative council, in his affidavit claimed that he possesses a D.Litt degree, said Kishor.
“In its affidavit, the Bihar School Examination Board informed a court during a hearing of the 1998 murder case involving Samrat Choudhary that he did not clear his class 10 exam and failed with 234 marks. Choudhary, in his affidavit for the 2010 election, said that he was class 7 pass.
“It’s surprising that in his later election affidavits, Choudhary claimed he possesses a D.Litt degree. How can it happen without clearing the class 10 exams? The Election Commission must ask him to produce his class 10 (pass) certificate,” he said.
Claiming that Choudhary has changed his name several times, Kishor said, “Earlier it was Rakesh Kumar, then he became Rakesh Kumar Maurya, then Samrat Kumar Maurya, and now Samrat Choudhary.” He also accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of selecting a highly corrupt politician like Ashok Choudhary as a minister.
“He purchased land worth Rs 200 crore in the last three years through dubious and illegal means. He purchased land in the name of his daughter, who is a Lok Sabha MP, and his wife,” the Jan Suraaj Party leader alleged.
Kishor claimed that there was evidence that money was routed through Ashok Choudhary’s wife’s accounts to a Patna-based trust associated with the in-laws of her daughter.
Immediately after the engagement of his daughter, the process to route funds to the trust began, Kishor claimed.
“Ashok Choudhary must explain his relationship with the trust. How did this trust suddenly start buying huge tracts of land?” he said.
On BJP MP from West Champaran, Sanjay Jaiswal, Kishor said there is a petrol pump in the name of his mother in his Lok Sabha constituency.
“That petrol pump has been accused of issuing highly inflated bills of fuel to the local municipal corporation. I must say that he is a petrol chor and he should stop levelling allegations against me,” he said.
“This petrol pump is in Bettiah’s Cantonment area and this delayed the construction of a flyover for years to protect their business. He even displayed a public board claiming that the state government was stopping the flyover, not him. You (Jaiswal) talk about sending me to jail… you can’t even touch my hand,” asserted Kishor..
The ruling coalition leaders could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. PTI PKD NN
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