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Business News/ News / India/  ‘Important for PM to be educated..’ Arvind Kejriwal again raises questions on PM Modi's degrees | Watch
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‘Important for PM to be educated..’ Arvind Kejriwal again raises questions on PM Modi's degrees | Watch

While addressing a press conference, Arvind Kejriwal said that HC order against him has increased doubt on PM Modi's degree. He asked if ‘PM’s degree is fake?'

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (HT Photo) (HT_PRINT)Premium
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (HT Photo) (HT_PRINT)

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on 1 April has again raised questions on PM Modi's education qualification, a day after Gujarat court imposed 25,000 fine against him. Kejriwal said that HC order against him has increased doubt on PM Modi's degree. He asked if “PM degree is fake?"

While addressing a press conference, the Delhi CM said, “It's important that the PM has to be educated because he has to take a lot of decisions in a single day. HC order has increased doubt on PM Modi's degree. If he has a degree and it's real, then why isn't being shown?"

On 31 March, a Gujarat court imposed a 25,000 fine against Delhi CM asserting that information on PM Modi's academic degrees was not needed. The single judge bench also set aside an earlier order by the Chief Information Commission calling for the data to be furnished by the relevant universities.

While noting that both Kejriwal and the CIC were "absolutely casual" in their approach, the court also observed there was "indiscriminate misuse" of the RTI Act in this case.

Allowing the Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a cost of 25,000 on Kejriwal and asked him to deposit the amount within four weeks to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA).

"This court finds that the CIC while passing the impugned order was well aware that what it was directing was not a specific and certain but a fishing and roving enquiry," said Justice Vaishnav in his order.

Soon after the verdict, CM tweeted saying, “Does the country have the right to know how educated their PM is? He vehemently opposed showing the degree in the court. Why? And those who demand to see their degree will be fined? What is happening? Illiterate or less educated PM is very dangerous for the country."

In the order, Justice Vaishav said, “Accordingly, the petition is allowed and the impugned order (of CIC), dated April 29, 2016, is quashed and set aside."

The Commission being a statutory authority ought to have kept the aforesaid principles in mind while dealing with the oral request of Kejriwal and ought not to have made an exception in the present case, the HC said.

Expressing surprise that the CIC entertained Kejriwal's request and issued an order, the court said, "Such requests cannot be made so casually making mockery of the very intent and purpose of the RTI Act."

Meanwhile, AAP said it would appeal against the order in the division bench. "With this judgement, citizens have lost their right to seek information about the PM's degrees. The cost imposed on Kejriwal, who was a respondent in this case, also came as a surprise for us. Since we are not satisfied with this judgement, we will soon approach a division bench against this order," said AAP Gujarat's legal cell president Pranav Thakkar.

In April 2016, then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu had directed the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on the degrees that Modi received. Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the varsity approached it against that order.

The CIC order came a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu, saying he has no objection to government records about him being made public and wondered why the commission wanted to "hide" information on Modi's educational qualifications. Based on the letter, Acharyulu directed the Gujarat University to give records of Modi's educational qualifications to Kejriwal.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published: 01 Apr 2023, 02:01 PM IST
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