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Slamming opposition parties for an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his university degree, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has questioned whether someone's educational degree can be a political issue when the country was facing issues like unemployment, law and order issues and inflation.
"Should anyone's educational degree be a political issue in the country when we are facing unemployment, law and order and inflation? Today, differences are being created among people in the name of religion and caste. Crops have been destroyed due to unseasonal rains in Maharashtra. Discussions are necessary on these issues," Pawar told reporters on Sunday.
Sharad Pawar's comments were at variance from ally Shiv Sena-UBT, whose leader Sanjay Raut had said PM Modi should come forward to inform about his academic qualification and that his degree should be displayed at the entrance of the Parliament building.
In an interview to NDTV, Pawar differed from opposition's stand and came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate.
Earlier, Sharad Pawar's nephew and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar too said that inflation and jobs for youth are more important issues in the country than the PM's academic degree.
Notably, the Gujarat high court last week set aside an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) asking the Gujarat University to provide information on PM Modi's degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Allowing the Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal.