PM Modi Degree Row: The Gujarat High Court has Friday set aside an order which had asked Gujarat University to provide information about PM Narendra Modi’s degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Court imposes on Kejriwal 338878 fine of Rs.

The court observed that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal’s RTI application appears to be politically motivated and motivated by vested interest rather than based on solid public interest considerations. The Court also said that both the request by Arvind Kejriwal and the CIC order were totally irrelevant and a sheer misuse of the RTI Act. Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a fine of Rs 338878 on Kejriwal and directed him to deposit the amount with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA) within 4 weeks. directed to deposit.

Expressing surprise at the CIC considering Arvind Kejriwal’s request and passing the order, the single judge bench said, “Such requests cannot be made making a mockery of the intent and purpose of the RTI Act.” The court ordered 94 page Said, this Court is of the view that the CIC while passing the impugned order was well aware that the directions it was giving were not specific and definite, but inconsistent with the subject matter. Allowing Gujarat University’s appeal against the CIC order, Justice Vaishnav refused to stay his order despite Kejriwal’s lawyer Percy Kavina’s request. The Aam Aadmi Party said it would appeal against the order before a division bench and expressed surprise over the imposition of fine on Kejriwal.

Reacting to the verdict, Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet, doesn’t the country even have the right to know how much their Prime Minister has read? BJP accused Kejriwal of lying against Modi and cited examples of politicians apologizing for making unverified allegations, saying history is repeating itself.

Congress gave this reaction

Targeting the government, the Congress said that there is a limit to transparency in the new India. The bench agreed with the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat University, that Kejriwal’s insistence on obtaining Modi’s academic degree through RTI, when it is already publicly available, was aimed at the Chief Minister of Delhi. also raises doubts. Upholding the imposition of the fine, the court noted that despite the degree being available for all to see on the university’s website and pending or final hearing of these proceedings, Kejriwal stood by the case. This is another reason for imposing cost while allowing this petition, Justice Vaishnav said.

In April, , the then Central Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu transferred Delhi University and Gujarat University Kejriwal was instructed to provide information about the degrees obtained by Modi. Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the university moved the court against the order. The CIC order came a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu, stating that Kejriwal had no objection to his government records being made public and was surprised that the commission was hiding information about Modi’s educational qualifications. Why does he want On the basis of the letter, Acharyulu directed Gujarat University to give the records of Modi’s educational qualification to Kejriwal. In May MN Patel, the then Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University, had said that Modi had 946 In 59.Had done MA in Political Science with 3 percent. During the previous hearings, Gujarat University strongly objected to the CIC order, saying that the irresponsible childish curiosity of someone under the Right to Information (RTI) Act cannot constitute public interest.

narendra modiArvind KejriwalGujarat High CourtPublished Date

Sat, Apr 1, 2023, 9: 29 AM IST