Education qualification controversy: Smriti Irani asks Delhi University to take back suspended staff

New Delhi: Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on Saturday asked Delhi University to “reinstate” five non-teaching staff members, who were suspended for allegedly leaking purported documents relating to her undergraduate admission and admit card following a row over her educational qualifications.

Ms Irani said that in public life one should be open to scrutiny and criticism. “So am I,” the minister Tweeted. She said, “Since Delhi University is an autonomous institution, I have put forth my personal appeal to the vice-chancellor to reinstate the officials.”

Sources said the officials have admitted to SOL's Director Chandra Shekhar Dubey to leaking the documents.

The action came after a Hindi newspaper published the purported leaked documents according to which Irani had taken admission in DU's SOL last year but did not appear for the examinations.

Irani is at the centre of a raging controversy over her educational qualification after it emerged that she had made contradictory declarations when she contested Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2014.

However, the varsity in a U-turn denied the suspension of the five officials. DU vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh said, “No suspension order has been issued to any employee of the School of Open Learning.”

Mr Singh however said that he condemned such acts on leakage.