New Delhi, May 31 (Agencies): Union minister Smriti Irani has requested the Delhi University (DU) to reinstate five officials who were suspended for leaking her documents amid a controversy over her educational qualifications.
"Since DU is an autonomous institution I have put forth my personal appeal to the VC to reinstate the officials , she posted on Twitter today. "In public life one should be open to scrutiny and criticism. So am I," she added.
Confirming the suspension yesterday, a senior DU official had said, "Five of the non-teaching staff of the school of open learning have been suspended for accessing the confidential file and then leaking it."
The university reportedly took action after a Hindi daily published the leaked documents and claimed that Ms Irani had taken admission in DU's School of Open Learning last year, but had not appeared for her examination.
The BJP leader has been attacked by the rival Congress first over what its general secretary Ajay Maken called a lack of qualification to head the education ministry, and then over alleged discrepancies in her election affidavits.
"What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11!" Mr Maken had tweeted on Tuesday as Ms Irani took charge of her ministry.
Continuing the war of words today, Congress' Digvijaya Singh tweeted, "Thanks Smriti for appealing to VC DU for reinstating DU officials. Now let people of this Country know your actual Educational Qualification."
In her defence, Ms Irani had said earlier this week that "extraneous circumstances have been created to divert my mind from the work I have been assigned to do. I will humbly request all of you to judge me by my work."
The BJP has countered allegations against her with questions about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's academic background.