IANS/New Delhi
Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh yesterday denied five officials were suspended for leaking documents related to the educational qualifications of Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.
The denial came soon after Irani urged the vice chancellor to reinstate the officials.
On Friday, DU joint dean of students’ welfare and media co-ordinator Malay Neerav confirmed that five non-teaching staff of the School of Open Learning (SOL) were suspended for leaking documents pertaining to the minister.
But yesterday, after Irani said in a tweet that she had personally asked Singh to reinstate the officials, the vice chancellor issued a statement denying they were suspended.
“The university has learnt that no suspension order has been issued to the employees of SOL,” Singh said in a statement.
“... Kindly look into the fact of reinstating these officials. There are many teachers and students who had approached me with regard to certain challenges the university is facing, and even in my communication with them I had reinforced the autonomy of the Delhi University,” Irani told journalists earlier in the day.
“Hence, not as a minister, but as a citizen I would like to appeal to the vice chancellor to reinstate the officials that I have come to know through newspapers reports have been suspended,” Irani added.
The minister also took to Twitter to express her opinion.
“Since the Delhi University is an autonomous institution, I have put forth my personal appeal to the VC to reinstate the officials,” she said in a tweet.
“In public life one should be open to scrutiny and criticism. So am I,” Irani tweeted.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) also “welcomed” Irani’s stand.
Irani is at the centre of a controversy over her educational qualifications that has led to a full-blown war of words between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Congress had alleged Irani misrepresented her educational qualifications in her election affidavits.
The Congress said Irani had mentioned her qualification in her affidavit when she contested the 2004 election as Bachelor of Arts which she passed from Delhi University’s school of correspondence in 1996.
But in her affidavit for this year’s election, the actor-turned-politician mentioned her qualification as Bachelor of Commerce Part I, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi in 1994.
The Congress has protested against an “undergraduate” being appointed the HRD minister.
The BJP countered it with questions about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s academic background.
Reacting to the Congress making it a political issue, Irani said she was “prepared for any kind of scrutiny, attack or criticism.”
“My appeal is that if there is any criticism which is constructive enough for us to function better as a ministry, ... for me to function better as a political activist, I would appeal to one and all that I am more than happy and open to those suggestions and criticisms,” Irani said.
Irani: appeal
