Congress asks PM to come clear on his birth date, educational qualifications

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) The Congress on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clear on his date of birth and the controversy about his educational qualifications, saying there was an evident discrepancy in the details.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here that PMO website says that Modi was born on September 17, 1950.

"But there is a B.N. High School in Patan district from where a student by the name of Narendra Damodardas Modi had passed out with a school leaving certificate which showed his date of birth as August 28, 1949. Later a person with the name of Narendra Kumar Modi took admission in Delhi University for undergraduation course in 1975. His date of birth was October 1, 1950," he said.

Tewari said that the individual who took admission in an undergraduate course in 1975 should have completed it by 1978.

"The question is that the country has a right to know if the prime minister's year of birth is 1949, 1950 or 1958," he asked.

He also raised questions about Modi's educational qualifications, an issue which has also been raised vociferously by the Aam Aadmi Party.

"There is a clear discrepancy on facts on the issue and this is for the first time that controversy with regard to the educational qualifications of prime minister of the country has arisen. It would perhaps set the right tone and the right precedent if the PM was to come out and put the facts in the public space," Tewari said.

"All we are saying is that there are serious questions which have been raised with regard to information submitted in an affidavit by him (Modi) and it obviously requires the clarification,” he added.

Tewari also claimed that several Right to Information queries were filed when Modi was Gujarat chief minister but "reply to every RTI was denied saying the information sought is personal and confidential".