Placing copies of educational degrees of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the table, the BJP leadership on Monday sought to strongly decry “a campaign of lies and disinformation” by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who, they said, “has brought the public discourse to its lowest level” by questioning the academic qualifications of the Prime Minister.
In a stinging attack against Kejriwal, BJP President Amit Shah and union finance minister Arun Jaitley , placed degrees of Bachelor of Arts, 1978, and Master of Arts (external), 1983, in ‘Entire Political Science’ and related mark sheets here at party headquarters at a press conference and accused Kejriwal of drumming up a crooked campaign and thereby “defaming” the country.
“On whose information you wrote a letter to Prime Minister’s Office and mislead the mediaIJ” Shah asked and demanded an apology from the Delhi CM. “ Paap kiya hain.. Mafi maangni chahiye..” ( you have sinned and should apologize), he said after presenting a bunch of six-odd pages detailing Modi’s graduation and post-graduation degrees and mark sheets.
“ I will also write to Kejriwal so that he is satisfied and country is free from inane things,” the BJP President said. Asked to comment on the CIC order over the issue, Shah refused to react saying it was a legal issue whether the order was wrong or right.
On JD(U) MP K C Tyagi and Congress leader Manish Tiwari asking clarifications on Modi’s educational degrees, Shah pointedly singled out Tiwari saying, “ You have to clarify many a things before the country on the Agusta chopper issue”.
Attacking Kejriwal for spreading falsehood on the issue , Jaitley accused the AAP chief of “substituting governance” with “politics of adventurism”. He said allegations against Modi threaten “federal polity” in the country when a Union Territory indulges in irresponsible behavior to attack the PM.
In a swipe at the Aaa Admi Party, Jaitley said the controversy on PM’s degree has been created by a party “whose leaders and MlAs are being prosecuted for disclosing fake degrees .”
He said a party swearing by the name of common man should be praising that a man (Modi) hailing from a disadvantaged section and “in difficult family circumstances” took a journey to Delhi in the seventies and completed his BA as an external student. “I knew this because I was a student union leader of ABVP in Delhi University then as he would stay in ABVP office in 33, Bungalow road here,” he said .The BJP leader said Naresh Gaud “ a full timer” used to live in the ABVP office and knew Modi better as both had stayed together.
Hitting out at AAP Jaitley said, “ They have brought public discourse to the lowest level without checking the basic facts on the issue”. Shah and Jaitley did not take many questions on the issue after releasing copies of degrees. Quizzed about the authenticity of Modi’s BA degree, Shah asked a newsperson to check it with the Delhi University.