Delhi University (DU) on Tuesday dubbed as “cheap publicity stunt” a plea by RTI activists requesting to be made party in a case before the High Court that seeks to make public the varsity’s BA exam record of 1978, the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi had graduated.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, representing DU, opposed the plea of the RTI activists saying it cannot be a public platform.
“With all seriousness I am opposing it. Can this be a public platform? Can this be a platform for gaining cheap publicity? These are cheap publicity stunts,” Mr. Mehta said.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher is hearing a case filed by the varsity challenging a Central Information Commission (CIC) order allowing inspection of records of all students who had passed BA examination in 1978.
The CIC had directed DU to allow inspection of records related to all the students who had passed BA degree in 1978.
RTI activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Amrita Johri and Nikhil Dey, in their application, have sought permission to intervene in the petition filed by the university and permission to advance their submissions.
When the judge suggested the counsel for the activists could assist the court as an amicus in the matter, their counsel said they have no objection to it.
The RTI activists’ counsel said they wanted to assist the court on the interpretation of certain provisions of the Right to Information Act and they were not concerned with the degrees conferred to students in 1978.
The activists has argued that since the issue at hand, involves wider public interest and the decision of the high court is also likely to act as a precedent regarding access to information under the RTI Act, they wanted to the court to hear them also.
Next hearing
The court listed the matter for hearing on August 23.
The university had earlier submitted before the High Court that the varsity’s BA exam records of all its students of 1978 was held in a fiduciary capacity and cannot be disclosed under the RTI.
The court had on January 23 last year put on hold the operation of the CIC order.
