NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi found itself on the backfoot on Tuesday, with both BJP and Congress tearing into the government for the allegedly fake degree of Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar.
A Bihar-based university had on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that it has no record of Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar completing his law degree from there.
Defending Tomar, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, "The matter is in court now, the court will decide. Have patience." "He has the right to put his views in front, we have no right to interfere in judicial process," Pandey said.
Ex-AAP leader Prashan Bhushan slammed the Delhi government saying, "If this is the case that law minister's degree is fabricated then he has no business to be on that position. Delhi government has to answer."
Ex-AAP leader Prashan Bhushan slammed the Delhi government saying, "If this is the case that law minister's degree is fabricated then he has no business to be on that position. Delhi government has to answer."
RP Singh, BJP leader said, "AAP is trying to hide from the problem by saying that the matter is subjudice." "How can someday whose degree is fake continue to be the Law Minister of Delhi?" Singh asked.
Congress demanded that Tomar should be sacked immediately. Congress leader Ajay Maken threatened to hold a massive demonstration outside Delhi secretariat on Thursday, if Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal did not remove Tomar from his ministry.
"Even after pointing it out to Arvind Kejriwal, we don't understand why is the minister still at his position," Maken said.
Tilak Manjhi Bhagalpur University filed an affidavit stating Tomar's provisional certificate is "fabricated and doesn't exist in their record." The university said the roll number cited by Tomar is also incorrect. "As per records, the provisional certificate with serial number 3687 was issued on July 29, 1999 to Sanjay Kumar Chaudhary for BA (honours) in political science. The certificate in Jitender Tomar's name is a fabricated document and does not exist in the university's records," the affidavit filed before Justice Rajiv Shakdher stated.
The affidavit came after HC issued notice to the university while hearing a petition alleging Tomar should be removed as minister as he enrolled as an advocate using a "false and bogus" graduation degree.
Meanwhile, the Bar Council of Delhi informed HC it had suspended Tomar's licence after Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University (UP) admitted Tomar's graduation degree was "totally fake." The law minister has maintained he did his BSc from here. The high court has asked BCD to file its inquiry report against Tomar by August 20.
Indicating it won't let the matter rest even if the main petitioner drops proceedings, Justice Shakdher appointed advocate Raj Shekhar Rao as amicus curiae in the matter. HC decided to step in since petitioner Santosh Kumar Sharma, who made the allegations, remained absent from the hearing. It also asked Sharma to appear at the next hearing.
Seeking to be heard as a party to the case, BJP leader Nand Kishore Garg, who fought the assembly polls against Tomar, also approached the court on Monday. Senior advocate Chetan Sharma and Neeraj, appearing for Garg, claimed they have more proof of irregularities against Tomar.
courtesy: ET
