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DU VC is under pressure over Modi degree: AAP

May 11, 2016 22:22 IST

Keeping up its offensive, an Aam Aadami Party delegation on Wednesday met Delhi University Vice Chancellor demanding that they be allowed to examine records of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BA degree but they had to return empty handed.

After meeting DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, AAP leader Sanjay Singh claimed he refused to furnish the records, saying he is "under a lot of pressure". Singh claimed Tyagi looked "helpless".

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been leading the attack on Modi on the issue, wondered why the Delhi University VC refused to share records of the PM's BA degree when Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had released the documents at a press conference three days back.

"Jaitley ji n Amit Shah ji, after showing papers in press conference, said- 'jao ab jaakar DU mei dekh lo' (go and see it in DU). Now VC refuses? What is so secret abt PM's degree?," the chief minister asked.

Singh said refusal of the DU to share the details has strengthened the doubts that Modi's BA degree was forged.

"Our doubts about Modi's BA degree being forged have strengthened. We had a meeting with the VC for over an hour but he refused to show the degree or any records. He also asked us to understand his position saying there is a lot of pressure on him on the issue," Singh told reporters.

The AAP leader even said Tyagi's "helplessness and the pressure on him was quite evident and not even once he said during the meeting that the degree is authentic.

"When we asked him about the discrepancies in the degree and marksheets he did not answer our queries and said only the public information officer can deal with them."

The AAP has been alleging that the prime minister's BA and MA degrees were forged and there were many "glaring discrepencies in them", including in his name and total marks.

Amid the relentless attack on the prime minister on the issue, DU Registrar Tarun Das had on Tuesday said the BA degree was "authentic" and termed as "minor error" discrepencies in his marksheets and degree certificate.

Das had also said the university had all relevant records of Modi's graduation.

"When DU has authenticated the degree why are they not showing it to us the records despite CIC orders? When we asked the VC about registrar's authentication he said he will only talk about people present in his office? Does that mean the registrar's statement is not an official one?" Singh asked.

While repeated calls and text messages to the VC and registrar seeking comments on AAP's allegations went unanswered, the university spokesperson said , "I have no brief to say anything in this matter and only the Registrar has been authorised to speak on the issue".

The AAP delegation included party leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, Dilip Pandey and Ashish Khetan.

The AAP leaders had gone to the university on Tuesday too to seeking permission to inspect the records but were asked to come on Wednesday as they had no prior appointment.

On Monday, BJP had fielded two of its heavyweights -- party president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley -- to rebut AAP's charges. They had also released copies of Modi's BA and MA degrees.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, AAP leader Ashutosh accused the DU Registrar of authenticating "fake" mark sheets and degree certificate.

Posing questions to Das, he said why is it that in the mark sheets of other students released during the same time, name and subjects of the applicants are hand written, but in the mark sheet of Modi released by BJP, name and subjects of the applicant are not handwritten.

"In mark sheets available with us the marks obtained by the students are handwritten, whereas in the mark sheet of Mr Modi the marks are not handwritten. Why? In mark sheets available with us the word 'Passed' is handwritten. Why the word 'passed' is not handwritten in Mr Modi's marksheet?" he asked.

He said the mark sheets available with them also have signatures of the competent authorities under the heads, 'Checked By' and 'Prepared By', but Modi's mark sheet has been signed off only under the head 'Checked by'.

"Why the signatures under the head 'Prepared by' is missing in his marks sheet?

"In the mark sheets of Modi for all the years 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 a digit 2366 is written by hand at the top right corner. How this digit is written in all the mark sheets in same handwriting. This is a clinching evidence that the mark sheet has been forged.

"In the mark sheets available with us 'University of Delhi' is written in simple font, whereas, in Modi ji's mark sheet 'University of Delhi' is written in modern font. How it is possible?

"Modi ji's mark sheet appears to be computer generated. Did the Delhi University have computers in 1975? Modern fonts have been used in Modi ji's mark sheet. Were these fonts available in 1975? Did Bill Gates send a special computer at that time to print Modi's degrees?" Ashutosh said.

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