Degree row: BJP hits back at Kejriwal, puts Modi's degrees in public domain
New Delhi: Putting to rest the increasing clamour around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualification, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called a press conference in New Delhi on Monday to clarify PM’s college degrees.
Terming it unfortunate that such a press conference had to be called in the first place, Shah said, “Arvind Kejriwal tried to turn a blatant lie into truth and create confusion among public by saying that the Prime Minister’s degrees are fake. We are putting both of his degrees, Bachelor of Arts from Delhi University and MA from Gujarat university, in public domain.”
Read: Make Narendra Modi’s degree public, Kejriwal asks Delhi University
Demanding a public apology from the Kejriwal camp for levelling baseless allegations, the BJP leader also said, “I will write a letter to Kejriwal so that he is reassured. He has not only lowered down the standards of public discourse but has also defamed the nation across the world. Making such public statements, attacking someone without checking the facts is a very lowly thing to do.”
Arun Jaitley said that the kind of allegations that have been levelled against Modi threatens federal polity in the country and such attempts should be defeated strongly while challenging the Delhi Chief Minister to verify his claims.
Prime Minister's Master's degree from University of Delhi (Photo: Facebook)
"The politics of adventurism is being treated as a substitute for governance," he said, mounting a strong attack on Kejriwal.
Jaitley talked about Modi coming here to appear in the Delhi University examinations during 1977-78, saying he was not then known to many.
"I knew this because I was a student union leader in Delhi University then," he said, adding, "These allegations are coming from a party several of whose leaders are being prosecuted for fake degree."
Read: DU refusing Modi records as he never graduated from it: Kejriwal
Meanwhile, the AAP camp claimed that the educational degrees flaunted by BJP president Amit Shah was fake, and alleged that the party was betraying the nation.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, AAP leader Ashutosh said that that the degrees were fake and that there was mismatch in the names.
Prime Minister's Bachelor's degree from University of Delhi (Photo: Facebook)
Kejriwal has been alleging that the Prime Minister's BA degree is fake and that it was obtained by a namesake of his from Alwar.
Last week, Delhi Chief Minister had said that he can assert with "full responsibility" that Delhi University's records have no mention of "Narendra Damodardas Modi" and that one "Narendra Kumar Mahavir Prasad Modi" from Alwar had taken admission in 1975.
Kejriwal, who have been demanding that Modi's degrees be placed in public domain, had said the issue was not whether the PM was "10th pass or 12th pass" but that he has furnished "fake" certificates and "cheated" the people of the country.
Asked whether a defamation case would be filed against Kejriwal, Shah said no. He also attacked Congress' Manish Tewari and JD (U) leader K C Tyagi for supporting Kejriwal on the issue.
