Mismatch of information on educational qualifications submitted by some Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in their election affidavits during elections in Delhi, has come to light.
Satyendra Jain, a senior AAP leader and a minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government, has provided two different years for completion of his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree. In 2013, Jain, in his election affidavit to the Election Commission, had said that he completed the degree in 1992, while in the 2015 affidavit, he had said that his year of completion of the same degree was 1991.
Vishesh Ravi, AAP MLA from Karol Bagh, had said in his election affidavit in 2013 that he is a B.Com graduate from Chaudhury Charan Singh University and passed in 2008. This qualification does not find any mention in
his 2015 election affidavit; on the contrary, he has submitted that he is still pursuing a B.A. (Programme) degree from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Sharad Kumar, another AAP MLA from Narela, had also provided different information related to his year of passing school, in his election affidavit in 2008, when he contested on a BSP ticket, and in 2015 when he contested on AAP ticket. In the 2008 affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Kumar mentioned that he has passed his Class 10 examination in 1991 from Government Boys Senior Secondary School, while in the 2015 election affidavit, he mentioned that he passed Class 10 examination from the same school in 1995.
Baljinder Kaur, who recently contested in the Punjab polls from the AAP, also seems to have given two different dates of completion of her M.Phil in English. In the 2013 by-elections held in Punjab, where she was a candidate put up by the AAP, she had said in her election affidavit that she completed her M.Phil in English from Panjab University in 2011, while the 2017 affidavit said she completed the same course in 2009.
The non-disclosure of information or providing false information which the candidate knows or has reason to believe to be false; or conceals any information, in his nomination paper delivered, is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both, as per Section 125A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
Neil Terrance Haslam, whistleblower and former AAP member, alleged to The Sunday Guardian: “This is just the tip of the iceberg. They have a lot of issues that need to be brought to the fore. As per my information, over nine MLAs of the AAP have obtained certificates from the Chaudhury Charan Singh University which is the same university from where an AAP MLA and minister had said he completed his LLB. This speaks a lot about how nine MLAs have degrees from the same university.”