Degree war: Now, BJP questions Sonia Gandhi’s qualifications after potshots at Smriti Irani
New Delhi: Escalating the educational background debate, MoS for Parliamentary affairs Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Water Resources minister Umar Bharti questioned the qualifications of Congress president Sonia Gandhi after Congress general secretary and head of its communication department Ajay Maken tweeted, “What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (looking after education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate.”
Maken cited the educational qualification as mentioned in Irani’s election affidavit.
In her affidavit, Irani has mentioned her education qualification as “Bachelor of Commerce Part-1, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi-1994”.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “To say that someone needs to be educated to be HRD Minister) is like saying one needs to be a pilot for Civil Aviation or a miner for Coal Minister).”
In a subsequent tweet, he clarified that by “educated”, he meant “highly qualified”. “That’s the problem with 140 letters — take “educated” in last tweet to mean “highly qualified” but I’m sure you get what I mean regardless,” Omar tweeted.
The high-profile portfolio — in the previous NDA government, it was held by M M Joshi — has pitchforked Irani ahead of the new crop of BJP leaders like Nirmala Sitharaman, Meenakshi Lekhi and Saroj Pandey. Though eyebrows have been raised over Modi’s decision on the grounds of her educational and political credentials, the fact that she comes without any baggage may hold her in good stead.
Irani was the BJP’s women’s wing chief during Nitin Gadkari’s tenure as BJP president till early last year, before being promoted as the party vice-president by Rajnath Singh last year.
What may have proved an advantage for Irani is that even before she took the political plunge, she became a household name for her role in TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
HRD minister Smriti Irani had given contradictory declarations in her affidavits in 2004 and 2014 when she contested Lok Sabha election from two different constituencies.
While contesting in 2004 elections from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, the actor-turned politician had claimed that she had a Bachelor of Arts degree.
"B.A. 1996 Delhi University (School of Correspondence)", she had written in the column, which seeks details of University education and the year in which the course was completed.
In the same column of the affidavit filed in the 2014 elections from Amethi, Irani has said, "Bachelor of Commerce Part-1, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi-1994".
In 2012, the Supreme Court had ruled that false disclosures in an affidavit can be a ground for rejection of a candidate's nomination.
Roped in by the BJP in 2003, she showed an appetite for fighting big political battles. She contested against Congress leader Kapil Sibal from Chandni Chowk during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections but lost.
In 2004, she threatened to go on a fast over Modi’s alleged role in the 2002 riots. Her outbursts obviously appears to have been forgotten and was demonstrated publicly when Modi declared her as “chhoti behen” during an election rally in Amethi.
Want to to ask Congress how educated is Sonia Gandhi?-Santosh Gangwar,BJP on Congress's remark on Smriti Irani pic.twitter.com/tZ8KVNdQOl
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2014What is the educational qualification of Sonia Gandhi that she was heading UPA Govt?-Uma Bharti
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2014