Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
India

Congress, BJP in war of words over Smriti Irani's qualification

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 28 May, 2014 01:20 PM
    The row over allotment of the human resource development ministry to "non-graduate" Smriti Irani continued Wednesday with the Congress alleging she had misrepresented facts in her election affidavits and the BJP defending the actor-turned-politician.
     
    Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said that the party had not targeted Irani personally over her educational qualification but had raised questions about appropriateness of her being given the human resource development portfolio which had once been held by Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and senior leaders like Karan Singh, V.P. Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi. 
     
    The party asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to explain discrepancies in her affidavits.
     
    Singhvi said that in her affidavit when she was contesting the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Irani had mentioned her qualification as bachelors of arts (BA) which she passed in 1996 from Delhi University's school of correspondence, but in her affidavit for this year's Lok Sabha elections, mentioned her educational qualification as "Bachelor of Commerce Part I, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi - 1994." 
     
    "The first issue is misstatement. Was the affidavit wrong? Only BJP can explain it," he said. 
     
    Incidentally, Irani lost both the Lok Sabha elections. She is at present a member of the Rajya Sabha.
     
    Answering queries, Singhvi said the party was not targeting Irani personally over her educational qualification, but noted that the human resource development minister heads the boards of premier institutions such as the IITs and IIMs.
     
     
    Party spokesman Ajay Maken -- whose tweet: "What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD minister (looking after education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11!" -- sparked off the controversy, said that he agreed that no qualification was mandatory to be in public life but the party was raising the point about Irani's "appropriateness" for the post.
     
    Congress leader Rashid Alvi told IANS that it was a "fact" that the 38-year-old Irani was not a graduate.
     
    He said there were only 10 ministers in the union cabinet who were either graduates or post-graduates.
     
    "According to my information, there are only 10 graduates or post-graduates among the 23 cabinet ministers. It is unfortunate that the country is going to be run by such a cabinet," he said.
     
    He said though there was no basic qualification required to become a minister, the choice of ministers create an "image of the government".
     
    Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, however, brushed off the controversy, saying it was borne out of "frustration" within the Congress after its worst election performance with only 44 seats.
     
    "The Congress lost the Lok Sabha polls because of its arrogance, and yet the party is showing no signs to remain humble," Naqvi told IANS.
     
     
    Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti too came out in defence of the BJP vice president.
     
    "What is Sonia Gandhi's qualification?" she asked media persons, countering talk over Irani's apparently "inadequate" educational qualification to head the ministry.
     
    Activist and BJP sympathiser Madhu Kishwar described Irani's appointment as an avoidable "grahan" (eclipse).
     
    "Smriti Irani's appointment not the only one disappointing or controversial but it's like an avoidable grahan on a bright and shining rising sun!" she tweeted Wednesday.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Modi's Day One: Talks terror, promises to bring back black money

    Modi's Day One: Talks terror, promises to bring back black money
    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader took charge as India's prime minister at South Block office at 8 a.m. and soon proceeded to the stately Hyderabad House to meet Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

    Modi's Day One: Talks terror, promises to bring back black money

    Punjab pays record Rs.15,473 crore to farmers for wheat

    Punjab pays record Rs.15,473 crore to farmers for wheat
    With a bumper wheat crop in the state this year, the Punjab government has made a payment of Rs.15,473.15 crore to farmers for wheat procured by government agencies, an official said Tuesday.

    Punjab pays record Rs.15,473 crore to farmers for wheat

    Modi faces sea of expectations from diaspora, India-watchers

    Modi faces sea of expectations from diaspora, India-watchers
    With Narendra Modi taking over as prime minister, a host of expectations, recommendations and advice is pouring in for the BJP leader from overseas Indians.

    Modi faces sea of expectations from diaspora, India-watchers

    Narendra Modi meets SAARC leaders

    Narendra Modi meets SAARC leaders
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday met Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives and Mahinda Rajapakse of Sri Lanka here Tuesday.

    Narendra Modi meets SAARC leaders

    PM Modi's Cabinet: Jaitley gets Finance, Defence; Rajnath gets Home, Sushma Foreign

    PM Modi's Cabinet: Jaitley gets Finance, Defence; Rajnath gets Home, Sushma Foreign
    Arun Jaitley has turned out to be the most important person in the new government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with three heavy portfolios of finance, defence and corporate affairs, it was announced Tuesday.

    PM Modi's Cabinet: Jaitley gets Finance, Defence; Rajnath gets Home, Sushma Foreign

    The India that Narendra Modi inherits

    The India that Narendra Modi inherits
    India is looking forward to the tenure of its 15th Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with the expectation that he would take the country out of the muddle and disorder that is driven by deeply ingrained thoughts and beliefs. We, as Indians would have to fight battles of the mind to overcome the challenges we face.

    The India that Narendra Modi inherits