DU rejects another RTI query over Prime Minister Modi's degree

Citing "privacy" reasons, the University of Delhi (DU) has rejected another right to information (RTI) query seeking information about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

The RTI query was filed by Delhi-based lawyer Mohd Irsad.

"DU, as a matter of policy, seeks to maintain the privacy of every student as it holds the data pertaining to a student in a fiduciary relationship with the student concerned," the RTI response from the university read.

The refusal of the university to disclose the information related to Modi's degree has raked up the controversy.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, who had alleged that Modi's degrees were fake, said that the university cannot reject the RTI query.

"This deepens the mystery around PM's degree. If DU feels that it is private info, then under RTI Act, DU shud write to PM and seek his permission. DU can't reject (sic)," tweeted the Delhi chief minister.

In April, Kejriwal wrote to the Central Information Commission (CIC) to make public the details of Modi's educational qualifications.

Following Kejriwal's letter, the CIC asked the DU to make the degrees public.

In an attempt to put the controversy to rest, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called a press conference to reveal the prime minister's degrees.

However, the AAP alleged that the degrees provided by Shah and Jaitley were fake.

"What? But why? Didn't Amit shah n Jaitley ji say that degree was genuine and anyone cud take it from DU? (sic)" Kejriwal said in another tweet on Sunday.