Cong attacks PM over degree row, calls govt 'habitual offender'

April 30, 2016 21:40

The Congress on Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of his educational qualification saying his government was a "habitual offender" on the matter.

"If the prime minister himself is seeking to hide his educational qualifications, then how could common man have the confidence to use the right to information as a tool to fight corruption," party's chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said when asked about the Central Information Commission's direction to universities in Delhi and Gujarat to provide proper responses to RTI applications seeking details of education qualification of the prime minister.

Recalling the degree row in which HRD Minister Smriti Irani was involved, he noted that a court case is also on in the matter. He said there is also controversy over the degree of Minister of State of HRD Ram Shankar Katheria.

Insisting that the Congress respected the prime minister despite being his opponent, Surjewala, however, said if the prime minister "himself hides his degrees, then how could be the Right to Information be defended".

He said that not only should the prime minister make public his educational qualifications, but he should also "act against those in the PMO who attempted to malign him by not giving the information".

He alleged that other BJP leaders too have "misled" on their educational qualifications and that they were "habitual offenders".

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