Modi is PM not for his degree but authorities must respond: Jayant Patil

Nationalist Congress Party state president Jayant Patil said on Tuesday that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic qualification has become a subject of public debate, then the authorities concerned should respond to questions being raised over it, asserting that NCP does not think Modi has become the PM because of his degree.

It's not that Modi became the PM because of his degree. The PM has disclosed his educational qualification and if questions are being raised about it and people are also discussing it, the matter is bound to get analysed in detail. The authorities concerned must respond to it, Patil said.

We do not believe that Modi became the prime minister because of his academic qualification, he said.

On Monday, his party colleague Ajit Pawar said people voted for Modi in the 2014 general elections as he created a charisma that the BJP did not have and not his degree.

He (Modi) has been representing the country for nine years. I have observed that the issue of his or some other minister's (educational) degree is dug up. It is not an important issue, but inflation and unemployment are the key issues, Pawar said.

Pawar's comments were at variance from ally Shiv Sena (UBT), whose leader Sanjay Raut had said PM Modi should come forward to inform about his academic qualification and that his degree should be displayed at the entrance of the Parliament building.

The Gujarat High Court last week set aside an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) asking the Gujarat University to provide information on PM Modi's degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Allowing the Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal.