The Supreme Court, on Monday, observed that in India, no one votes on the basis of education qualification and therefore providing false information regarding education qualification of an election candidate can not be termed as a ‘corrupt practice’ within the meaning of Section 123(2) and Section 123(4) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
A Bench comprising Justice K.M. Joseph and Justice B.V. Nagarathna was hearing a petition filed by Former INVC MLA Anugrah Narayan Singh challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court which held that declaration of false information pertaining to education qualification furnished by BJP Candidate Harsh Vardhan Bajpayee does not interfere with the free exercise of electoral rights of the electors.
Justice Nagarathna sad, “No one votes on the basis of educational qualification in India". "Maybe, only in Kerala they do", she added in a lighter vein.
Singh had argued that in 2007 and 2012, when Bajpayee had contested election of the Legislative Assembly from the same constituency he had shown his educational qualification as B. Tech from University of Sheffield, England and highest degree as ‘Master of Finance and Control’ from Delhi University’. However, while filing nomination for the 2017 election he has shown his qualification and highest degree as B.Tech from Seferred University, England. Moreover, Singh averred that the University of Sheffield awards B.E. degree in Chemical Engineering and not a B.Tech degree. It was...
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