New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani is trending again on social media, this time for a fiery speech she broke into in Parliament in response to allegations of what opposition members called “saffronising” or giving a Hindutva tinge to education.
Ms Irani, replying to a debate on the demand for grants for her human resource development ministry, offered a strong defence that included interjections in Bengali directed at members of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.
“Aapni jokhon bolechhen, boshey shojjo korun. Aamar jobab aashte din. (If you have made allegations, then sit through my reply),” the 39-year-old minister said as Trinamool Congress MPs interrupted her.
“Since my primary school days, I have not been asked by anyone, when I have stood up respectfully, to sit down the way the HRD minister of this country did today,” huffed the Trinamool’s Sugata Bose, a grand nephew of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
The verbal clashes started when Mr Bose joined the Congress’ Sushmita Dev in criticising what they called bias in appointments to the Indian Council of Historical Research.
When Smriti Irani responded, the Trinamool protested that she called Mr Bose ‘that Professor’ and pointed her finger at him.
“Please look at the minister’s arrogance. I know that she is facing tremendous pressure within her party but it is not right to refer to a respected academic in this way,” said Mr Bose’s colleague Saugato Roy, making an oblique reference to recent reports that Ms Irani may be dropped from the government as her party, the BJP, is not happy with her.
“Eminence per se is not a certificate to mislead the House, not a certificate to pass snide remarks. Eminence gives you the responsibility to hear the other side of the story,” responded Smriti Irani, oratorical skills in full display.
Professor Bose wasn’t assuaged. He charged that Ms Irani had not built up a case for her ministry’s grants, instead focused on blaming the previous UPA government instead.
Meanwhile: Court to hear complaint against Smriti Irani over education qualification
A Delhi court will hear on April 25 a private complaint filed against Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly giving “false” information about her educational qualification in her affidavits filed with the Election Commission of India.
The petition came up before Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain who fixed it for hearing on April 25.
The complaint filed by Ahmer Khan, a freelancer, alleged that in an April 2004 affidavit filed by Ms Irani for the Lok Sabha elections, it was stated that she has completed her BA in 1996 from Delhi University (School of Correspondence).
It claimed that in another affidavit of July 11, 2011 by Ms Irani for election on Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, it was stated that her highest educational qualification was B.Com Part I from the School of Correspondence, DU.
The complainant alleged that in another affidavit of April 16, 2014 filed by her for the Lok Sabha polls, it was said that she was a Bachelor of Commerce Part-I from the School of Open Learning, DU.
“It is evident from the contents of the affidavits filed by Smriti Z Irani that at best, only one of the depositions by her on oath in respect of her educational qualifications is correct,” the plea claimed.
It alleged that she had given “false information” about her educational qualifications in the affidavits.
It further said, “the aforesaid affidavits of Smriti Z Irani, apart from the ostensibly false and discrepant statements in respect of her educational qualifications, also appear to contain false/ discrepant statements in respect of immovable properties owned by her, and other details set out by her.”
“The aforesaid facts and circumstances reveal commission of offences by the accused under section 125A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, besides any other offences that may attract other penal provisions as an outcome of an additional investigation,” the plea said.
It requested the court to take cognisance of the offences alleged in the plea and summon Ms Irani for trial.
