'Can't Dalits Fly': Political Storm In Bihar Over IAS Officer's Chartered Flight With Family

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 20:20 IST

Nilesh Deore, an IAS officer in Bihar's Tourism Department, came under scrutiny after the opposition claimed he travelled on a chartered flight with his family in June.

A political storm erupted in Bihar surrounding a senior IAS officer, after the opposition flagged in the Assembly that he travelled with his family on a chartered flight from New Delhi to Patna in June.

Nilesh Ramchandra Deore, Special Secretary in Bihar’s Tourism Department, came under scrutiny after RJD MLA Rahul Sharma questioned in the Bihar Assembly how the IAS officer could afford such travel and who actually paid for it.

However, the discussion on accountability and use of public resources turned into that of caste after Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary, responding on behalf of the state government, hit back at the opposition, questioning whether the officer had no right to fly because he was a Dalit.

Who Is Nilesh Deore?

Deore, originally from Maharashtra’s Nashik, is a 2011-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, who currently serves as Secretary of the Bihar Tourism Department and the Civil Aviation Department.

He also has an additional charge as Managing Director of the Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited. Deore has previously served as District Magistrate in districts such as Madhubani and Chhapra.

He was later assigned as Private Secretary to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, while serving as District Magistrate in Bettiah. Deore initially completed his MBBS from a private college in Navi Mumbai before choosing a career in the civil services.

How Did The Controversy Begin?

The controversy began when RJD’s Rahul Sharma flagged in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Monday that Deore had travelled by a chartered plane with his family from New Delhi to Patna in June 2025, according to reports. Sharma questioned how an IAS officer could afford such a flight.

“A Bihar government officer was on board with his family, four people in total. Was permission taken or not? I do not think the Bihar government can officially extend such a facility. If someone else paid, why did they pay? What did they receive in return?," Sharma told the Assembly.

‘Can’t A Dalit Fly?’

Ashok Choudhary, Bihar’s Rural Works Minister, offered a clarification on Monday, saying the travel was linked to an official visit. “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Civil Aviation Secretary Nilesh Deore and I were on an official trip from Patna to Delhi last July. The aircraft had to return to Patna in any case. Deore and his family boarded it on the return leg," Choudhary said.

He also added a social dimension to the controversy, asking whether Deore was being targeted because he is a Dalit and whether he had no right to fly. “Do Dalits and backward communities not have the right to board an aircraft? What sin has been committed here?" he said, while questioning the background of those who raised objections.

Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari accused Choudhary of trying to play the Dalit card. “Rather than the government or the officer in question putting the record straight, Choudhary has been trying to play the Dalit card. We only want the government to tell us if the officer was charged a fare for his travel or if the journey was at the expense of the poor," he told The Indian Express.

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