June 25, 2015 by admin

COURT SEES MERIT IN PLEA AGAINST IRANI; CONG, AAP SEEK HER OUSTER

New Delhi, June 25: A Delhi court today took cognisance of a complaint filed against HRD Minister Smriti Irani for “misrepresenting” her educational qualification in election affidavits, triggering strong calls for her resignation from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Fixing the matter for hearing on August 28, Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain said: “It is held that the present complaint case is filed under limitation (of time). Cognisance is taken,” the Magistrate said in his order on the complaint filed by freelance writer Ahmer Khan. Khan alleged that Irani, in her three affidavits before the EC while filing nominations for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha polls, had purportedly given different details about her educational qualification.
Under Section 125-A of the Representation of People Act, the penalty for filing false affidavit entails a jail term of up to six months or fine or both.
Khan alleged that Irani declared herself to be a 1996 batch BA graduate from Delhi University in her affidavit filed for the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. But in her 2014 Lok Sabha election affidavit, she stated she had done BCom Part-1 in 1994 from Delhi University.
Demanding Irani’s removal, the Congress and AAP said she had no “moral, constitutional or legal” right to continue on her post after the court order.
Drawing parallels with the case of former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Tomar’s degree, AAP leader Ashutosh said: “There cannot be two yardsticks. If they believe Tomar should be arrested, why not Irani.”