Hearing adjourned: The Gujarat High Court on Friday (June 30) adjourned the hearing to July 21 on the matter in connection with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree.
The hearing was adjourned by Justice Biren Vaishnav after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for Gujarat University, sought time to read the rejoinder affidavit filed by Kejriwal. Kejriwal had filed a review petition on the order of the High Court.
Mehta said in the court that he had received the affidavit which contained the transcript of the previous court hearing only ‘seconds’ before the hearing began on Friday.
When Justice Vaishhav asked Mehta if he can argue today, he said it will be difficult without reading what has been written in Kejriwal’s affidavit filed.
The Solicitor General said that Kejriwal’s affidavit which was filed by senior lawyer Percy Kavina might have ‘irresponsible statements’, like the ones that were present in the previous hearing.
"I have no difficulty in arguing. But (it's difficult) without knowing what he has said. We have found in this matter that, since the beginning, irresponsible statements are being made. Maybe, they are there in this affidavit also. Let me go through it," Mehta said.
Upon learning that Kejriwal's affidavit also contains a transcript of the video recording of the previous hearing, as the High Court proceedings are shown live on YouTube, Mehta said "nothing is unexpected". Mehta then clarified that his comments were for Kejriwal and not for Kavina.
Kejriwal approaches Gujarat HC
The Delhi Chief Minister had approached the Gujarat High Court earlier this month seeking a review of its recent order which set aside the Central Information Commission's directive to the Gujarat University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to him.
One of the key contentions raised by Kejriwal is that contrary to Gujarat University's claim about Modi's degree being available online, no such degree is available on the university's website.
Justice Vaishnav had allowed Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order in March and had also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on the Aam Aadmi Party supremo.
What is the matter?
Then CIC Acharyulu had in April 2016 directed Delhi University and Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on PM Modi's degrees.
The CIC order had come a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu saying he has no objection to government records about him (Kejriwal) being made public.
Kejriwal, in the letter, had wondered why the commission wanted to “hide” information on PM Modi's educational qualifications. Based on the letter, Acharyulu directed Gujarat University to give records of the Prime Minister’s educational qualifications to Kejriwal.
The Gujarat University had objected to the CIC's order saying the “irresponsible childish curiosity” of someone cannot become public interest under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the University, had told the HC in February, there was nothing to hide in the first place because information about the PM's degrees was “already in public domain” and that the university had placed the information on its website on a particular date in the past.
In his review petition, Kejriwal, however, said no such degree was available on the varsity's website. Instead, a document referred to as “Office Register (OR)” is displayed, which is different from a “degree”, Kejriwal's review petition had contended.
(With PTI inputs)
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