2 days ago
Dalit hostel row: Samrat slams Rahul over ‘baseless' charges
Patna: Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary on Friday lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his June 10 letter to PM Narendra Modi. In the letter, Rahul alleged poor conditions in Ambedkar hostels and delays in scholarships for Dalit and EBC students in Bihar.
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Samrat responded by stating that the state govt had disbursed Rs 4.7 crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) in 2024-25, providing Rs 4,000 per month in scholarships to Dalit students.
Rahul, citing his May 15 visit to the Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga, claimed that six to seven students were cramped into each room and the hostel suffered from filthy toilets, unsafe drinking water, poor food quality and a lack of educational resources.
He also alleged that no student had received a scholarship in 2021-22.
Dismissing these claims, the Choudhary said the allegations were "baseless and prejudiced", accusing Rahul of misleading the public and engaging in "politics of spreading discontent".
Invoking the legacy of former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, Choudhary said, "The Gandhi family, which once sent Karpoori Thakur to jail, is now questioning the hostel named in his honour.
Congress has never respected the backward-Dalits and has always opposed reservation. The NDA govt is working for these sections of society."
He added that any deficiencies found in hostels for Dalit and EBC students were promptly addressed. "Hostel residents also achieve success in competitive exams by taking advantage of the peaceful environment and high-quality facilities," he said.
Choudhary detailed the state's efforts, citing the existence of 100 Jananayak Karpoori Thakur hostels, 100 OBC welfare hostels and 39 OBC girls' residential +2 schools equipped with libraries, smart classrooms, TV sets, CCTV, sanitary napkin vending machines, generators, computer labs, biometric devices, medical check-up facilities and messes.
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He said hostel grants had been provided up to April and food distribution would continue till March 2025. Regular inspections and necessary repairs were carried out, he added.
Choudhary, who also oversees the finance portfolio, said Rs 321 lakh had been sanctioned in 2025 for the repair, painting, water supply and electrification of Karpoori hostels.
