Ajit Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has remarked that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s triumph in 2014 was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal and that the country’s most pressing problems are inflation and youth employment than the PM’s educational background.
Pawar’s remarks contrasted with those of Shiv Sena-UBT ally Sanjay Raut, who had suggested that PM Modi come up and disclose his educational background and that his degree should be placed at the Parliament building’s entrance.
Asked about the Opposition raising the issue of the PM’s educational qualification, Pawar on Monday, said: “In 2014 (general election), did people vote for him (Modi) by looking at his degree? In 2014, he created a charisma, which the BJP did not have, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The entire credit for the same should be given to Narendra Modi saheb.”
Importantly, the Gujarat High Court overturned a Central Information Commission (CIC) order last week requiring the Gujarat University to provide Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, with information about PM Modi’s degree.
Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed Kejriwal a cost of Rs 25,000 in addition to allowing the Gujarat University’s appeal against the CIC judgement.
Pawar said: “What is there about the degree? So far, in our democracy, the majority in Parliament is considered to be important. Whoever has the majority in the 543 seats (in the Lok Sabha) becomes the chief. Similarly in our state, whoever gets 145-146 assembly seats (out of the total 288) becomes the chief minister.”
According to the opposition leader in the Maharashtra Assembly, there is no requirement for political office holders to hold an MBBS or a comparable degree in the medical sector.
LPG cylinders and other necessities are becoming more expensive. He also mentioned the concerns of youth, the announcement to fill 75,000 seats in various state departments, and the concerns of farmers and labourers, saying that nobody wants to talk about it.
“I don’t think that issue (educational degree of Modi) should be given any importance at all,” the NCP leader added.
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