The Congress on Friday called Union Minister and BJP candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani a “serial liar”, and said that she should be disqualified from contesting the polls. The party alleged that she had falsified records of her educational qualification and submitted contradictory affidavits to the Election Commission.
Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi also accused Ms. Irani of misusing her influence and power as a Union Minister. “Union Minister Smriti Irani, who had been rubbishing Opposition’s claim that she is not a graduate, yesterday [Thursday] accepted that she enrolled for an undergraduate course in Delhi University, but did not complete it,” she said.
The Congress leader said Ms. Irani should be disqualified. “We have no issue with the fact that Smriti Irani is not a graduate. The issue here is that she has lied repeatedly on oath and to the courts. People of India will see through these lies and give a befitting political reply to a ‘serial liar’,” said Ms. Chaturvedi, accusing her of being guilty of offence under Section 125A and Section 33 of the Representation of Peoples Act.
In her affidavit filed during her nomination, Ms. Irani has submitted that she passed her secondary school examination in 1991 and senior secondary in 1993. She said she had not completed her Bachelor of Commerce (Part-I) from Delhi University’s School of Open Learning in 1994. She has been fielded against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.
In her affidavit in the 2014 polls, she had reportedly said she graduated from the university in 1994, triggering a row over the veracity of her claim, with Opposition parties alleging she was not a graduate.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the issue.
(With inputs from PTI )
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