Overview
- RJD and Congress pressed the issue in the Bihar Assembly this week, demanding clarity on who paid and whether public funds were used.
- Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary said the aircraft was returning to Patna after an official Patna–Delhi trip with the chief minister, and the officer’s family used seats on that leg.
- Choudhary questioned the criticism by invoking the officer’s Dalit identity, a line the Opposition called a distraction from accountability.
- Key details remain unsettled, including the flight date — reported as June 5, 2025 by the Opposition but described as July by the minister — and landing arrangements.
- Nilesh Ramchandra Deore has not commented as calls grow for an audit; he serves as secretary for Tourism and Civil Aviation and earlier worked with Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.