Bihar Minister Ashok Chaudhary
By Neeraj KumarÂ
Patna: The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislature was thrown into turmoil once again on Tuesday after allegations resurfaced over an alleged fake degree of Bihar Minister Ashok Chaudhary.
The disruption occurred in the Legislative Council while the House was discussing paddy procurement. As Chaudhary was responding to questions related to the issue, MLC Sunil Singh rose from his seat and openly accused the minister of possessing a fake degree. The remark triggered loud protests and counter-allegations from both sides, plunging the House into chaos.
Visibly angry, Ashok Chaudhary was seen shouting inside the House and challenged Sunil Singh to either prove that his degree was fake or resign from the Legislative Council.
The controversy had its roots in a question raised by MLC Maheshwar Singh, who alleged that Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) were refusing to procure paddy citing excess moisture. He pointed out that only eight days remained before the procurement deadline, while nearly one million metric tonnes of paddy were yet to be purchased, forcing farmers to sell their produce at distress prices.
Replying to the question, Ashok Chaudhary informed the House that discussions were underway with the Union minister to extend the paddy procurement deadline in Bihar. He assured that action would be taken wherever procurement was found to be sluggish. However, he also took a dig at the questioning member, saying that two decades ago paddy procurement did not even take place and accused him of lacking proper information.
This remark infuriated Sunil Singh, who immediately objected and warned the minister against questioning Maheshwar Singh’s intelligence and understanding. From this point, the dispute escalated further, with Sunil Singh stating in a stern tone that he could reveal the truth behind the minister’s alleged fake degree, claiming to know where and how it was obtained.
As the uproar intensified, the Chairperson and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Chaudhary intervened to restore order. The Chairperson cautioned that any allegation against a member must be made strictly on the basis of documents and established rules, and subsequently ordered that the entire episode be expunged from the proceedings.
Directing both members to confine themselves to the issue of paddy procurement, the Chair ruled that the degree controversy would not form part of the official record. Normal discussion on procurement resumed only after the intervention.
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