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The Congress has taken on Smriti Irani, Union Minister and BJP’s candidate in Amethi, based on a statement in her affidavit that she is not a graduate.
The party has also demanded that the Election Commission disqualify Irani, for contesting with contradictions in the affidavits submitted by her since 2004.
In her latest affidavit submitted on Thursday, Irani said she has not completed the three-year degree course.
The Congress listed various affidavits submitted by the BJP leader since 2004 to highlight the “contradiction and falsification of educational qualifications”, and asked the Election Commission to take action against the Minister.
Varying statements
Party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi cited the affidavit submitted by Irani in 2004 as the candidate from Chandni Chowk, where she claimed to hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University’s School of Correspondence, graduated in 1996.
“Irani in 2011 submitted an affidavit to ECI as Rajya Sabha candidate from Gujarat stating her educational qualification as B.Com-Part-I in 1994 from Delhi University, School of Correspondence,” Chaturvedi added.
The Congress said in 2014, the Textiles Minister submitted an affidavit as Lok Sabha candidate from Amethi, which said her educational qualification as B.Com. Part-I in 1994 from School of Open Learning, Delhi University.
Chaturvedi also claimed that Irani said at a media event in August 2014 that she has a degree from the Yale University in the US.
“Union Minister Smriti Irani, who had been rubbishing Opposition’s claim that she is not a graduate, yesterday accepted that she enrolled for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did not complete it,” Chaturvedi said.
“She should step down, and also be disqualified from contesting the polls for misleading the public,” Chaturvedi added.
Irani, however, said such attacks will not stop her from fighting against Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.
“In the past five years, there has not been any attack which has not been made against me by the Congress and its stooges, nor is there any disrespect which has not been hurled at me,” Irani said in Amethi.
“I have a message for them... as much as you try, I will work for Amethi against the Congress. No matter what you say, the more you harass me, the harder I’ll work,” she added.
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