Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, repeated his allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic qualifications despite a recent ruling by the Gujarat High Court. The court set aside an order to reveal details of the PM’s degrees, fined Kejriwal ?25,000 for his RTI request, and asked him to deposit the amount within four weeks. Kejriwal alleged that the court’s decision raises doubts over Modi’s education, stating, ‘It’s important that the Prime Minister has to be educated because he has to take a lot of decisions.’ He also claimed that the PM’s degree might be fake or the university might be reluctant to disclose it due to arrogance.
The controversy over Modi’s education began in 2016 when Kejriwal’s RTI request directed the Gujarat University and Delhi University to furnish information on the PM’s graduation and post-graduation degrees. The Gujarat University put Modi’s degree on its website but challenged the Information Commission’s order as a matter of principle. Last month, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued before the high court that the universities should not be compelled to disclose the information, calling Kejriwal’s request ‘childish and irresponsible curiosity.’
The BJP accused Kejriwal of “peddling lies” against the PM, stating that his allegations reflect his frustration as his government ministers are facing corruption charges. Justice Biren Vaishnav of the Gujarat High Court also questioned Kejriwal’s motives, stating, ‘Arvind Kejriwal doubtlessly used an appeal against him to kickstart and trigger a controversy not falling within the purview of the RTI Act for the objects and purpose this court need not go into.’
Despite the court’s ruling and criticism from the BJP, Kejriwal persisted with his allegations against the PM’s education, fueling the controversy further.
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