Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his questionable educational qualification.
Responding to a viral video of the prime minister talk about about ‘gutter gas,’ Kejriwal tweeted, “That’s why it’s said that the country’s prime minister should be an educated person.”
इसीलिए कहते हैं कि देश का प्रधान मंत्री पढ़ा लिखा ही होना चाहिए https://t.co/lOxaubdSPd
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 13, 2018
In the viral video, posted by a Twitter user, Nikhil, Modi is seen explaining how a tea-seller had used the gas emitted from a gutter to make tea for his business. Recalling the incident fondly, Modi is heard saying, “It’s a simple technology.”
Let this man loose without a script and he can start his own Pogo channel. pic.twitter.com/yoBGXFBQmu
— Nikhil (@nikhil_thatte) August 12, 2018
Nikhil, in his tweet, had written sarcastically, “Let this man loose without a script and he can start his own Pogo channel.” His tweet started a Twitter conversation as journalists join in to mock Modi’s idea of relying on naturally produced ‘gutter gas.’ Journalist Shahid Siddiqui wrote, “Oh my God, what a brilliant idea . Now I know why he is such a great leader. Gutter economy/ gutter jobs/ gutter ideas for the nation.”
Journalist Sagarika Ghose chipped in with her own tweet that read, “What a breathtaking scientific breakthrough! Have western scientists discovered this miracle yet?”
What a breathtaking scientific breakthrough! Have western scientists discovered this miracle yet? https://t.co/G0yOn1FlxD
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) August 13, 2018
Not to be left behind, comedian Kunal Kamra mocked the prime minister by recording his own video.
*Thank you modiji for giving GAS* pic.twitter.com/0BMNFwTmp6
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) August 13, 2018
Context
Modi’s degree has been an enigma for quite some time. While his party said that the prime minister had passed his BA exams in 1978 from the Delhi University, they’ve failed to produce credible evidence to substantiate their claims. The CIC had rejected the contention of the Central Public Information Officer of the University that it was a third party personal information, saying it finds “neither merit nor legality” in it.
Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu, who had earlier ordered the Delhi University to allow inspection of the prime minister’s educational qualifications, was later removed from his responsibility for the HRD ministry.
Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in particular has consistently been pressing for Modi’s degrees to be made public.
Faced with widespread embarrassment, the BJP had taken an extraordinary step in 2016 when both the party president, Amit Shah and the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held a press conference to flash what they claimed were copies of Modi’s degress. Kejriwal had then described the copies of the prime minister’s degrees published in newspapers forged.