Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has dismissed recent allegations regarding his educational qualifications, asserting that he has addressed similar claims on multiple occasions in the past.
Choudhary, whose full name is Samrat Kumar Maurya, cited an incident from 1995, stating that 22 members of his family were jailed on charges of violence under the orders of Lalu Prasad Yadav. “Later, Lalu Yadav apologised for the incident,” he said, linking the statement to criticisms from political strategist Prashant Kishor regarding Choudhary’s academic record.
Prashant Kishor, leader of Jan Suraj, had questioned Choudhary’s matriculation results, claiming that court documents indicated he scored only 234 marks, below the passing threshold. Kishor also alleged that in his 2010 election affidavit, Choudhary declared himself a seventh-grade pass, raising doubts about how he subsequently obtained a D.Litt. degree.
In addition to responding to educational claims, Choudhary criticised the Congress party, stating that it had “looted India for 55 years,” and commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Choudhary made the remarks during the ‘Thank You Government’ programme, organised by the Bihar Parishad Adhikar Mahasangh at Ravindra Bhavan in Patna, where he highlighted the government’s efforts to respect and empower local body representatives.
