Hearing on Gujarat University plea against CIC order on PM Narendra Modi's degree adjourned

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court today adjourned the hearing on a petition seeking quashing of a Central Information Commission's order to the Gujarat University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

Justice R M Chhaya said the petition will have to be heard by the division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi which had earlier ordered an interim stay on the CIC's order.

The bench headed by Chief Justice will hear the matter now on December 22, as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Gujarat University, could not come for the hearing from Delhi today.

The High Court had on July 1 granted interim stay on the CIC order as prayed for by GU and issued notices to Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu, the Centre and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

GU, while opposing the CIC's order, contended that it was not given a hearing before the order was passed.

Meanwhile, police detained some 40 AAP workers who were shouting slogans outside the High Court before the matter came up for hearing today.

On April 29, CIC had directed the Delhi University and Gujarat University to provide information on degrees earned by Modi to Kejriwal.

The CIC's order had come a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu saying when he did not object to government records about himself (Kejriwal) being made public why the Commission should want to "hide" information about Modi's degree.

The Information Commissioner treated Kejriwal's letter as an RTI application, and passed the order.