AAP stirs ‘illiterate’ PM Modi jibe, Cong flags limited transparency in ‘New India’

New Delhi: While the Aam Aadmi Party doubled down its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his educational qualification after the Gujarat High Court fined its leader for seeking the same, the Congress reacting to the court order said there is a limit to even transparency in ‘New India’.

The AAP launched a full-blown attack against PM Modi over his education, with its chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeting and referring to him as "illiterate" and "less educated" after he was fined Rs 25,000 for inquiring about PM Modi's education.

The high court set aside the seven-year-old order of the commission, asking the varsity to provide information on the prime minister’s degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

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

Responding to the HC order, Kejriwal tweeted, “Doesn’t the country even have the right to know how educated their PM is? They were opposed to showing his degree in court. Why? Those who demand to see his degree will be fined? What is happening? An illiterate or less educated PM is very dangerous for the country.”

One of the AAP leaders, who declined to be named, said that since independence, every prime minister of the country was educated and that it was the first time an uneducated person was holding the post. The AAP leader further stated that the entire country has the right to know the details of PM Modi's degree.

Reacting to the verdict, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a tweet in Hindi said, “There is a limit to even transparency in New India. This is what the ‘Entire Political Science’ teaches.”

Asked about the issue at a press conference, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “See, why this matter went to the court. Courts have a lot of pressure… PM’s educational qualification, whether his degree is genuine or not, this matter going to a court is astonishing.”

“It’s a matter of paradox in India, in a country where four crore cases are pending in courts, a hearing is happening on the prime minister’s degree. So, why this situation came up, we need to understand. ‘Entire Political Science’, I haven’t heard of it, if you have heard about it, please tell me,” Khera told reporters in response to a query.

“Even if today such a degree is offered then, I would like to take it,” he said.

In the affidavit submitted before the Election Commission in 2014, PM Modi had stated that he had a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of Delhi in 1978, and had completed his Master of Arts (MA) degree in Entire Political Science from Gujarat University in 1983.