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Storm over twin affidavits by Irani
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Education row: Omar backs minister To say that someone needs to be educated (highly qualified) to be an HRD Minister is like saying one needs to be a pilot for Civil Aviation or a miner for Coal Minister. Omar Abdullah, j-k chief minister VK Singh calls on Smriti Ex-Army Chief Gen VK Singh (retd) called on HRD Minister Smriti Irani at her office and congratulated her on becoming the youngest education minister of India. Singh will assume charge of his ministry for North-East Affairs on Thursday. Uma targets Sonia Uma Bharti on Wednesday targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, questioning her educational qualification. “As the UPA chairperson, she was giving directions to the government. I want to see her certificate to know how qualified she is. Then the Congress people have the right to ask about the qualification of Smriti Irani.”

New Delhi, May 28
The controversy over the educational status of Smriti Irani acquired a legal twist today with the Opposition Congress questioning the new HRD Minister for making varied statements about her qualifications in two different affidavits filed before the Election Commission in 2004 and 2014.

Congress’ change of track came after differences within the party over attacking Irani on her qualifications — something former Information Minister Manish Tewari called a superficiality rather than substance.

Digvijay Singh, party's general secretary, agreed with Tewari on Twitter writing: “Educational qualification of a minister/ PM is not the issue but Modi chose Smriti Irani over Dr Murli Manohar Joshi — that is the issue,” Singh said.

The dissent once again bared Congress’ oft-witnessed difference of opinion on vital issues, most recently on pursuing probe against PM Narendra Modi for his alleged role in the snooping scandal.

Party's general secretary in charge of communications Ajay Makan had yesterday commented on the HRD Minister’s educational qualification (she had studied up to class 12).

As the political storm raged, the BJP counter-attacked the Congress with Textile Minister Santosh Gangwar questioning the Congress about its president Sonia Gandhi's qualifications and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi advising Congress leaders to put aside their arrogance and accept people’s verdict with humility.

Irani’s first affidavit dated April 23, 2004 (a copy is with The Tribune) mentions her qualification as BA, 1996 from Delhi University, School of Correspondence. Her second affidavit dated April 16, 2014 says she’s B Com, Part-1 from the same School of Correspondence.

Section 125 A of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, says candidates can face up to six months in jail or fine or both for “furnishing in their affidavits false information or information they know to be false”.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi attacked Irani on this legal point saying, “Either Smriti Irani is BA full degree as claimed in 2004 or she’s undergraduate B Com Part 1. On one occasion, she made a mis-statement. We don’t want to attack anyone personally considering PM Narendra Modi’s Cabinet has ministers who are class VI and class VIII pass but we need clarification from the government on this legal point. There are two affidavits with two statements at variance,” Singhvi said.