PM Modi Degree Controversy Takes Another Murky Turn

NEW DELHI: “Narendra Modi M.A. Subjects.

In the Indian Express a statement by v-c. of Gujarat University is published stating that Narendra Modi passed his M.A. an part -2.He gives name of certain papers and marks as follows;

"The breakup of marks in second year MA shows that Modi obtained 64 marks in political science, 62 marks in European and social political thoughts, 69 marks in modern India/political analysis, and 67 marks in political psychology," he said.”

However, there seems something wrong with the names of the papers, to my knowledge, there were no such papers offered in part-2 to internal or external students. I was on faculty of department of Political Science and used to teach there, during 1969 - 1993 June.

Narendra Modi joined M.A. part -1 in political science as regular student, however his presence was not sufficient in my class to grant his term and I have never condoned it, of course others may have granted it but he was advised to appear externally thenceforth.

Jayanti Patel.”

This is the Facebook post of Jayanti Patel from Ahmedabad, who taught in the Gujarat University and has raised two fundamental questions about the MA Part 2 marksheet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as given out by the current Vice Chancellor of the Gujarat University. One, that as far as he could recall papers like social political thoughts, modernIndia/political analysis, and political psychology were not offered to internal or external students by the University at the time. And two, PM Modi was not granted his term because of low attendance and he was advised to appear externally for the course. Professor Patel lives in Ahmedabad.

This now brings even the MA mark sheet into question.

Aam Aadmi party is categorical that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BA degree produced now by the BJP’s “political heavyweights” as Ashutosh described Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah, is fraudulent. Ashutosh told The Citizen that AAP had made serious enquiries in both Gujarat and Delhi Universities and was convinced that the Prime Minister had not got his BA degree from DU at least.

After the Jaitley-Shah press conference where they gave copies of what they said were PM Modi’s degrees, Ashutosh made the following points:

1. We have made full enquiries and were told by DU about the “non availability of these documents.” These do not exist;
2. The degrees given out by the top two men in government after PM Modi, itself indicates how seriously they are taking this issue. If it is as inconsequential as they claimed initially, someone down the hierarchy could have spoken out instead, if at all;
3. There are serious differences in the name given in the marksheet and the degree; there is a spelling mistake as well. Kumar has been dropped and this is a legal issue. A name change can happen only through an affidavit;
4. PM Modi himself said he was a “wanderer” during the Emergency and had gone underground as he was wanted under MISA. MISA was a draconian law, so how could he then defy it and give the Delhi University examinations under his own name;
5. Both Jaitley and Shah raised the name of a fake witness where they said PM Modi stayed when he was giving these examinations. But the houses of opposition leaders had been raided, and this ABVP office along with others sealed. So how could he have stayed there during this period?

The AAP had earlier questioned the Congress and the big media for not reporting this issue at length. The Congress party has now waded into the controversy, questioning the degrees and the validity of the Shah-Jaitley claims. By producing what they had claimed to be the BA and MA degrees of the Prime Minister both had attacked Aam Aadmi Party for raising irrelevant issues, and creating controversy where there was none.