New Delhi: The BJP on Friday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and accused him of “peddling lies” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Gujarat HC set aside the CIC order asking the Gujarat University to provide information on PM Modi’s degree to him.
The BJP also cited instances of the AAP chief apologising to its leaders for levelling “unverified” allegations, saying “history is repeating itself”.
Setting aside the seven-year-old order of the CIC, the high court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal and asked him to deposit the amount within four weeks to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA).
In a statement, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “what Kejriwal is doing reflects his frustration. He is naturally frustrated as his government ministers are in jail on charges of corruption and being involved in a liquor scam. His comments are a consequence of this.”
Patra’s sharp offensive against Kejriwal comes in the backdrop of the AAP leader’s attack on Prime Minister Modi over his education and the issue of alleged corruption.
The BJP spokesperson noted that the Delhi chief minister had to apologise to Union minister Nitin Gadkari and late Arun Jaitley, another leading face of the party, for levelling allegations against them after they took him to court.
The AAP leader settled the matter out of court after apologising for his “unverified” allegations, including those relating to corruption.
“The history is repeating itself today,” Patra said, noting the court’s “strong comments” and fine on him. “It is not a new thing for Kejriwal or his party,” he added.
Head of BJP’s I-T department, Amit Malviya, said, “Gujarat High Court slams Arvind Kejriwal, imposes a fine of Rs 25,000 on him for filing frivolous petitions, asking about Prime Minister’s degree.”
Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, tweeted, “lying & making obnoxious remarks, peddling lies against the chair of the PM has become a fashion & Kejriwal is in strong competition with Rahul Gandhi in this regard. But today he has been shown his place by High Court!”
He added, “Hope Kejriwal ji doesn’t make scurrilous comments on judiciary like Rahul now! That would count as being ‘literate and yet uneducated’.”
Tom Vadakkan, also a BJP spokesperson, said, “nemesis is fast catching up”.
Allowing the Gujarat University’s appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also refused to stay his order as requested by Kejriwal’s lawyer Percy Kavina.
