Just three days after taking charge at Nitish Kumar’s newly formed cabinet, Bihar education minister Mewa Lal Chaudhary resigned from his post, amid controversies regarding his appointment despite being charged with corruption.

According to informed sources, Chaudhary, who was allocated the position on Tuesday, immediately sent in his resignation after assuming the role at 1 pm.

The JD(U) member had been named in a five-year old case in connection with alleged irregularities appointment of teachers and technicians at Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, where he served as the Vice Chancellor.

On Wednesday, RJ(D) along with its allies threw heat at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for appointing Chaudhary to his cabinet despite him facing corruption charges and being suspended from the party earlier, and demanded he should be sacked.

RJ(D) leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the first-time minister faces serious charges under the Indian Penal Code including cheating and dishonestly (section 420), and criminal conspiracy (120B).

Taking to Twitter, he asked, “"Has Chief Minister Nitish Kumar awarded Mewalal Choudhary for corruption and given him the freedom to loot?”

The 67-year-old was suspended from the Kumar-led JD(U) in 2017 following the registration of an FIR against him in the irregularities case in February that year.

The BJP, which currently has an alliance with JD(U), had also expressed strong opposition against Chaudhary at the time.

"Look at the irony, the BJP which was attacking the JD (U) over Mewalal until now, is silent today," RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is currently lodged in prison, tweeted in Hindi.

The former vice chancellor had then left his job to contest the 2015 Bihar polls on a JD(U) ticket, following which he was elected from Tarapur Assembly seat in Munger district and retained the seat in the 2020 polls.