High drama was witnessed on Tuesday at the Delhi Police Headquarters after AAP MlA from Delhi Cantt Commando Surender accompanied by his party leader Sanjay Singh met Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, asking to arrest him over alleged fake degree case. Sanjay Singh alleged that his party MlAs were being hounded by the Delhi Police at the behest of the ruling BJP at the Centre.
However, the tone and tenor of AAP leaders changed on their return from an hour-long meeting with the top cop. “We have been assured by the Police Commissioner that the case will be decided on merit and there will be no witch-hunt,” they said. Sources said the MlA and Singh requested the police chief to act professionally and not take any prejudiced step as that would harm image of the party.
Hours before meeting Bassi, the 26/11 hero dressed in his military half-jacket, played victim card and said that the university from which he got the degree turned out to be “dubious” one and not his degree. He also admitted to have made a mistake in the affidavit by stating the wrong name of the university.
Visibly perturbed over the Delhi High Court order seeking a last reply from him, the embroiled MlA said that he is under the Delhi Police scrutiny on Centre’s behest. Displaying medals on his jacket, Singh said, “My degrees were never investigated when I fought the Kargil War neither when I fought 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, but now since the BJP has lost the Delhi elections, they are putting me under scanner.”
Defending the discrepancy in his affidavits, the AAP MlA said that he appeared for all exams in 2009, 2010 and 2011 from EIIlM University, Sikkim. “I got the degree in 2012, which is not a fake one. Anyone can investigate that. I accept that I made a technical mistake in my affidavit, where I have mentioned the name of Sikkim University in place of EIIlM Sikkim Univeristy,” he said.
“So if anyone puts an RTI application in Sikkim University, they will not have any record. This does not mean that my degree is a fake,” the MlA said.
Senior party leader Sanjay Singh alleged that the Centre was using the Delhi Police to target the AAP, its MlAs and leaders.
“The Centre is trying to suppress the AAP by arresting our leaders and MlAs. Narendra Modi had resorted to similar tactics in Gujarat. There are several FIRs registered against the BJP leaders, the police is showing promptness only in arresting Commando Surender Singh.
“In this case, Surender is a victim and not an offender. The university has issued degrees to thousands of students. If the university turns out to be dubious, then the MlA cannot be blamed for it,” he said.