Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday challenged Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav to appear for the Class 10 examination together, wading into a political row over the educational qualifications of the state’s top leaders. Kishor’s challenge came after Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari advised Yadav to clear his matriculation examination before supporting protests by students. Turning the attack towards the chief minister as well, Kishor suggested that Tiwari should take a proposal to the state Cabinet asking both Choudhary and Yadav to sit for the examination.
Kishor throws challenge
Kishor said Tiwari should extend the same advice given to Yadav to Choudhary and suggested that both leaders demonstrate their academic ability by clearing the Class 10 examination.
The Jan Suraaj leader said he was making the appeal on behalf of Bihar’s young people, arguing that citizens should have confidence that their political leaders possess the ability to pass a matriculation-level examination. His remarks followed Tiwari’s criticism of Yadav over his support for protesting students. Yadav, the RJD working president, left school after Class 9 and has frequently faced political attacks over his educational background. Kishor, however, sought to broaden the argument by bringing Choudhary’s academic record into the debate rather than allowing the controversy to remain focused solely on the RJD leader.
Samrat’s qualifications questioned
Kishor referred to Choudhary’s educational qualifications and claimed that an affidavit filed for the 2010 election had listed him as having studied up to Class 7. He contrasted this with references to the chief minister now holding a DLitt degree.
He used the issue to argue that both the ruling and Opposition leaders should accept the same challenge rather than education becoming a political weapon directed at only one side.
The Jan Suraaj chief has frequently targeted both the government and the RJD, seeking to position his party outside Bihar’s traditional political divide.
Education row turns political
The exchange has transformed Tiwari’s original remark against Yadav into a wider political debate over the academic credentials of Bihar’s leadership.
Kishor maintained that Choudhary and Yadav should take the examination simultaneously and demonstrate their ability to clear it. His remarks also allowed Jan Suraaj to return the focus to education, an issue the party has repeatedly highlighted in its political campaign.
The episode adds another round to the increasingly sharp exchanges among Bihar’s principal political players, with educational qualifications now becoming the latest arena for attacks between the government, Opposition and Jan Suraaj.