No party has mechanism to check education degrees, says AAP

Mohali, July 4: With one of its MLAs arrested in an alleged fake degree case, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today said there is no mechanism with any political party to examine the degrees of its party members.

"There is no mechanism available with any party to check (educational) degrees of its party members," senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said here today.

He said as per selection criteria, the party makes sure that there should not be any charges related to corruption, criminal activities and character against a person. "If question has been raised over somebody's 15-year-old degree, then the probe is going on and we have also handed over the matter to internal Lokpal," Singh said while addressing the media.

Following the arrest of AAP MLA and former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar in an alleged fake degree case last month, Singh today accused the BJP-led Centre of following different yardsticks for its own leaders.

"There cannot be two laws in the country. (Union Minister) Smriti Irani, MP Rama Shankar Katheria, Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawde are involved in fake degree case if we have made mistake then take action against us as per law. If they have done wrong then you should take similar action against them also," Singh said.

He also cited a recent controversy surrounding Union Minister Kiren Rijiju who was in the midst of row over offloading of passengers from an Air India flight. "Two types of law are being followed which is dangerous," he claimed.

However, he maintained that people have different type of expectations from AAP. "We will show ourselves that we are different from other political parties," he said.

On a recent report of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence electricity bill of Rs 91,000, Singh clarified that Kejriwal's own power consumption was about Rs 17,000. "The Rs 91,000 electricity bill was for two months. And this bill came because where Kejriwal meets people, 24 air conditioners have been installed for public," he said.

On Rs 526 crore advertisement budget of Delhi government, Singh further said that it was not going to be spent overnight.

"Expenditure on government advertisements is not going into the pocket of Arvind Kejriwal. It is to be paid to media. You (media) decide a policy that you will promote Delhi government's initiatives without taking money," he said while taking a jibe at media.

He also took a dig at the Centre for spending huge sum of money on promotion of Yoga and Swachh Bharat campaign.

PTI