HRD Minister Seeks Revocation Of Suspension Of DU Staff

<div>HRD Minister Smriti Irani today asked Delhi University to &quot;reinstate&quot; five non-teaching staff members, who were suspended for allegedly leaking purported documents relating to her undergraduate admission and admit card following a row over her educational qualifications.<br /><br />Irani said that in public life one should be open to scrutiny and criticism. &quot;So am I,&quot; the Minister said on microblogging site Twitter.<br /><br />She said that &quot;since Delhi University is an autonomous institution, I have put forth my personal appeal to the Vice Chancellor to reinstate the officials&quot;.<br /><br />University sources had yesterday said that its School of Open Learning has suspended five persons on the suspicion that they entered a confidential domain and accessed documents which were leaked.<br /><br />Those suspended are a Section Officer and four officials below him in hierarchy. An inquiry has been initiated against them, they said.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Congress attacked the Narendra Modi government over the suspension of the officials.<br /><br />&quot;5 officials of Delhi University suspended for leaking HRD Minster's educational qualification details!Does this Govt believe in transparency,&quot; party general secretary Digvijay Singh tweeted.<br /><br />Taking another potshot at the government, he said, &quot;ACHHE DIN AA GAYE HEIN. Would anyone stand up for the suspended officials of DU ?&quot;<br /><br />After Irani sought revocation of the suspension, Singh quipped, &quot;Thanks Smriti for appealing to VC DU for reinstating DU officials. Now let people of this Country know your actual Educational Qualification&quot;.<br /><br />Sources said the officials have admitted to SOL's Director Chandra Shekhar Dubey to leaking the documents.<br /><br />Irani is at the centre of a raging controversy over her educational qualification after it emerged that she had made contradictory declarations when she contested Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2014.<br /><br />Congress had launched a broadside against her questioning her ability to deliver as HRD minister as she was &quot;not even a graduate&quot;.<br /><br />Irani had said &quot;extraneous circumstances&quot; were created to deviate her attention from work and asked the people to judge her by her work.<br /><br />(PTI)</div>