DHAKA: 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 (sic), she posted on Twitter Saturday, reports NDTV.

‘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 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 (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11 (sic)!’ Maken had tweeted on Tuesday as 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’.

BDST: 1642 HRS, MAY 31, 2014