Bihar minister sticks to resignation over corruption

A day after she resigned from the government, Bihar's first Muslim woman minister, Parveen Amanullah, alleged that there was rampant corruption in the state.

"Corruption is (raging) out of control and the grievances of the common people are not heard by authorities," Amanullah said after submitting her resignation to assembly Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary.

It is the first time the social welfare minister has attacked the government of Nitish Kumar.

The daughter of diplomat-turned-politician Syed Shahabuddin and wife of IAS officer Afzal Amanullah, the Janata Dal-United minister said she won't reconsider her decision and hinted at joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

"There is no question of taking back my resignation," Amanullah told the media earlier after meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Nitish Kumar tried to persuade her to take back her resignation. But she refused to heed to his pleas.

"I don't have any grievances and enmity with anyone. But there is a need to improve the present system," she said.

Amanullah refused to disclose the reasons behind her decision to quit the government and the party.

Amanullah has praised AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "Let's see what happens next."

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi has asked her to join the BJP.

Panchayat and Rural Development minister Bhim Singh, meanwhile, agreed that Amanullah's complaints about corruption were genuine.

"Certainly, there are some shortcomings in the system. I agree with her that the system has to be (challenged)," he said.

In 2009, Amanullah wanted to contest for the Lok Sabha from Kishanganj as the Janata Dal-United candidate but was denied a ticket. Her father had won the seat in the 1990s.

A former RTI activist, she said she was open to returning to social work.

In 2010, she was elected to the Bihar assembly from Sahebpur Kamal in Begusarai district.