The Aam Aadmi Party continued to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his educational qualifications, claiming that it wasn't him but his namesake who graduated from Delhi University in 1978. Modi had said in his 2014 general election nomination papers that he has a bachelor's degree from the Delhi University in 1978 and an MA from the Gujarat University in 1983.
"We checked the records of Delhi University from 1975 to 1980 at our level and have figured out that there is no person with the name Narendra Damodardas Modi who was awarded any degree," AAP leader Ashish Khetan said. "There was a person who did his graduation from 1975 to 1978 but that was Narendra Kumar Mahavir Prasad Modi. He is a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan with October 19, 1958, as his date of birth," he added.
AAP also said that the degree published by some newspapers with the prime minister's name on it is fake. "This is a very serious crime and amounts to forgery," AAP leader Ashutosh said. The party has also filed an RTI with Delhi University seeking a copy of Modi's application form, enrollment form, marksheet of each academic year, and the 1979 convocation list, reported PTI.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that some media houses were asked “not to touch” the controversy, reported IANS. While the Prime Minister's Office has not responded to AAP's allegations, the Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed them as "too silly to respond to", reported NDTV. "I don't want to give it too much importance, but it is inappropriate for a chief minister to make such allegations," said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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