Arun Jaitley defends Smriti Irani, says Rahul Gandhi got M.Phil without Masters degree

The Congress had complained to the poll panel against Union Minister Smriti Irani submitting "contradictory affidavits" to the Election Commission on her educational qualifications.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday attacked the Congress party for questioning his cabinet colleague Smriti Irani's educational qualification, saying the party forgot that a public audit of its chief Rahul Gandhi's academic credentials "may leave a lot to be answered".

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday attacked the Congress party for questioning his cabinet colleague Smriti Irani's educational qualification, saying the party forgot that a public audit of its chief Rahul Gandhi's academic credentials "may leave a lot to be answered". He alleged that Gandhi "got an M.Phil without a Masters degree". "One day the focus would be on the BJP candidate's educational qualifications, fully forgetting that a public audit of Rahul Gandhi's academic credentials may leave a lot to be answered. After all, he got an M.Phil without a Masters degree," Jaitley said in a Facebook post.

One day the focus would be on the BJP candidate’s educational qualification, fully forgetting that a public audit of Rahul Gandhi’s academic credentials may leave a lot to be answered. Afterall, he got an M.Phil without a Masters degree.

— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) April 13, 2019

Jaitley's remarks come a day after Congress told the Election Commission that Irani had "falsified records" of her educational qualifications, and demanded her disqualification for submitting "contradictory affidavits". Irani, the BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat submitted to the Election Commission that she did not complete her graduation from Delhi University. Irani is contesting against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. A Congress delegation comprising Ahmed Patel, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Randeep Surjewala and Shaktisinh Gohil, made several representations to the EC, including over Irani's "contradictory affidavits" on her educational qualifications. The opposition party demanded that she should be disqualified from contesting. Reacting to Congress' stinging attack, Irani said,"I have a message for them... as much as you try, I will work for Amethi against the Congress. No matter what you say, the more you harass me, the harder I'll work." In its memorandum to the EC, the Congress requested for urgent and necessary intervention against "deliberate, corrupt and wilful falsification" of facts by Irani in multiple election affidavits.