Varsity rejects RTI seeking details of PM Modi’s degree

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University has refused to furnish information under RTI about details of the degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University has refused to furnish information under RTI about details of the degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The RTI, filed by Delhi lawyer Mohammad Irshad, was rejected by the Delhi University in a reply dated June 13. Denying the information, the university’ s reply stated, “DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a student in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned .”

The Aam Aadmi Party had first raised the matter, questioning the authenticity of the Prime Minister’s degree following which senior BJP leaders showed copies of the degree to the media. On Sunday, the AAP targeted DU again over the issue, with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal asking why the DU was withholding the information.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted about the rejection, “What? But why? Didn’t Amit shah n Jaitley ji say that degree was genuine and anyone cud take it from DU?” (sic).

“If DU feels that it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM n seek his permission. DU can’t reject,” (sic) he tweeted.

AAP Delhi convener Dilip Pandey also targeted DU, asking if the degree existed, why wouldn’t officials make it public.

“If it is about a former student’ s personal record, you should write to him and ask if he is okay with making the information public. When an RTI was filed for Arvind Kejriwal’s degree, he immediately said the information should be made public and IIT Kharagpur too made the information public. Why is DU creating unnecessary suspense around the issue?” Pandey said.

The appellate authority for RTI in the university, HC Pokhriyal, said he would comment only if the matter is referred to him.

The degree controversy first emerged in April when the Gujarat University and Delhi University refused to share information about Modi’s qualifications.

The Aam Aadmi Party then took it up and alleged that the PM’s claims that he had a Masters’ degree in Political Science were false. The Chief Election Commissioner had asked the universities to disclose the information. A few days later, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah held a press conference where they showed the PM’s degrees and said anyone could go to DU and see them. The degree from Delhi University was a duplicate copy.

DU’s registrar had also told some media outlets that the degree was genuine. In the RTI, Irshad had asked if Mo di had ever applied for a duplicate copy of his mark sheet or degree. He had also asked for the degree entry register of the School of Open Learning, which contains entry of the student with the enrolment number.