PM Modi’s MA degree need not be furnished, says Gujarat HC; imposes fine of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal 

The hullabaloo over Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s qualification has taken a new turn as Gujarat High Court on Friday revoked Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)’s 2016 order, which asked Gujarat University to release the information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MA degree to Kejriwal.

Imposing a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi CM, the court said that he will have to deposit the amount with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority.

The court of Justice Biren Vaishnav also rejected a stay on the judgment, after being requested by Kejriwal's lawyer.

"Accordingly, the petition is allowed and the impugned order (of CIC), dated April 29, 2016, is quashed and set aside" said Justice Vaishnav in his order.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it would appeal against the order in the division bench.

In April 2016, the then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu had urged the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal about Modi’s degrees.

Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the varsity approached it against that order.

The CIC order came a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu, saying he has no objection to government records about him being made public and wondered why the commission wanted to "hide" information on Modi's educational qualifications.

Based on the letter, Acharyulu directed the Gujarat University to give records of Modi's educational qualifications to Kejriwal.
In May 2016, the then Vice Chancellor of the Gujarat University, MN Patel, had announced that Modi completed his MA in Political Science in 1983 with 62.3 per cent as an external student.

The Gujarat University had then vehemently objected to the CIC's order saying "irresponsible childish curiosity" of someone cannot become public interest under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

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