HC stays order on giving info on PM’s degree to Kejriwal

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Friday stayed the Central Information Commission’s order asking the Gujarat University (GU) to provide information on the degree earned by PM Narendra Modi to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
A division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice VM Pancholi accepted the varsity's demand for stay. It also issued notices to central information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu, the Union government and Kejriwal seeking their responses and posted further hearing to September 6.
The university had approached a single judge bench of the HC last week seeking to quash the CIC order. However, Justice S H Vora only issued notices to the three respondents but did not stay the CIC order. The university then moved the division bench.
Senior counsel Tushar Mehta, representing the GU, on Friday argued before the division bench that the varsity was not a party to proceedings before the CIC and no hearing was given to it before passing the order, in violation of principles of natural justice.
On April 29, CIC had directed Delhi University and GU to provide information on Modi’s degrees to Kejriwal. AAP had questioned Modi’s BA and MA degrees, alleging discrepancies in certificates.