‘Manner in which Kejriwal responded…’: HC junks plea against order in Modi degree case

A political leader holding public office cannot use statutory proceedings for their political interests, the Gujarat High Court has said, rejecting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal's plea against a ₹25,000 cost imposed on him in the case over disclosure of details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

“The manner in which the appellant responded to the CIC (Chief Information Commission) in the proceedings against him and further pursued the matter by filling the written submissions speaks of itself and need no further comments or observations from us,” a division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice DN Ray said.

Kejriwal had appealed against the March 2023 order of a single judge who had quashed a 2016 CIC direction requiring Gujarat University to provide information concerning Modi’s degrees. The University had approached the single judge challenging the CIC's direction. The CIC order was passed on an application by Kejriwal under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act).

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"In the totality of facts and circumstances of the present case no error in any of the submissions of the appellant herein can be found in the judgment impugned. The appeal stands dismissed accordingly with no further error as to costs. Civil application for stay is dismissed,” the division bench said, according to Live Law.

In 2016, Gujarat University, through its registrar, had filed a petition before the Gujarat High Court challenging the CIC order. The Commission’s order came after Kejriwal had written a letter to CIC to make public details of Modi’s educational qualifications.

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The university had asked the high court to impose costs on Kejriwal to prevent misuse of the Right to Information Act and to spare officials from spending working hours on requests that serve no purpose under the law.