BJP sympathiser questions qualification of ’12th pass’ Smriti Irani to be HRD Minister

Mumbai Mirror

In the sharpest attack yet on his team, the one-day-old Narendra Modi government on Tuesday faced criticism for the appointment of actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani, a class 12 pass, as HRD minister. 

 

And the offensive emanated from a known Bharatiya Janata Party sympathiser and Centre for Study of Developing Societies professor Madhu Kishwar. 

 

Kishwar, who had batted for Modi in many television debates in the run to the Lok Sabha elections, said ministries are not Modi’s private property that he could distribute to anyone he wished to. "Our universities, including JNU, are becoming slums. 

 

We have to reclaim our academia. It can’t be done with the likes of Irani," she said. 

Earlier in the day, Kishwar’s barrage of tweets on Smriti’s educational qualification, or rather the lack of it, drew a response from columnist Swapan Dasgupta, who tweeted: "Someone remind me. Did Rabindranath Tagore go to university? He certainly established one & had enlightened views on education." 

 

The Congress, on the other hand, joined Kishwar in criticising Modi’s choice for a ministry that will shape the country’s education policies. Senior party leader Ajay Maken tweeted: "What a Cabinet of Modi. HRD Minister (Looking after education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate!" 

 

Kishwar, who said that she had nothing personal against Smriti and if the prime minister wished he could appoint her his deputy, said that she was speaking up only because the future of an entire generation of Indians was involved. 

 

Kishwar also clarified that she was never a fan of Modi. "I was demonised. I never claimed to be a supporter of Modi. I am only a wellwisher of the BJP. " 

 

Hitting out at Dasgupta for comparing Smriti to Tagore, Kishwar said: "Such people must certainly see psychiatrists. Smriti is not even anywhere close to cultural czarina Kapila Vatsayan." 

 

Following the twitter assault, Smriti delayed taking charge of the ministry. Her office, however, said she was waiting for a letter form the President’s office. Through the day, she took briefing from secretaries in the HRD ministry at her residence. She did not respond to Mirror’s SMSes and calls.