BJP leader Smriti Irani has declared in her affidavit to Election Commission that she is not a graduate, much to the amusement of Congress which claims vindication of its charges over the former HRD minister's qualification
After Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani filed her nomination papers from Amethi for Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, the former HRD minister's educational qualifications have once again come under public scrutiny after she declared in her election affidavit she does not have an undergraduate degree.
In her 2014 Lok Sabha election affidavit, Smriti Irani had reportedly claimed that she had completed a BA (Bachelor of Arts) degree from Delhi University's School of Open Learning in 1994, triggering a row over the veracity of her claim, with opposition parties alleging she was not a graduate, a charge which seems to have been verified with the minister's own admission on Thursday.
In the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission as part of the nomination process, Irani on Thursday declared that she did not complete her Bachelor of Commerce (Part-I) — a three-year degree course — from DU's School of Open Learning in 1994.
Irani, who is contesting against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, has declared in her affidavit that she passed secondary school examination in 1991 and senior secondary school examination in 1993.
Assets
Smriti Irani has declared assets worth over Rs 4.71 crore in her poll affidavit.
According to the document, Irani has declared movable property worth over Rs 1.75 crore. Her immovable assets are worth Rs 2.96 crore, which include an agricultural land valued at over Rs 1.45 crore and a residential building of Rs 1.50 crore.
In the movable category, she had cash in hand till March 31 totalling about Rs 6.24 lakh besides over Rs 89 lakh in bank accounts. She also has over Rs 18 lakh in NSS and postal savings insurance and another Rs 1.05 lakh in other investments.
Irani has vehicles valued at Rs 13.14 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 21 lakh.
There is no FIR pending against her and she has not taken any loan.
Her husband Zubin has movable property of more than Rs 1.69 crore and immovable property worth Rs 2.97 crore.
PTI