The BJP’s candidate for the prestigious Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency – Queen Oja – has striking similarities with at least two of her political bosses – Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union textiles minister Smriti Zubeen Irani.
Just like Modi and Smriti Irani, BJP’s candidate from the Gauhati constituency Queen Oja’s educational qualifications “leaves a great deal to be desired”.
Although Oja mentioned in her nomination paper that she has passed higher secondary from Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University in 2011 against the column of highest education in her nomination paper, vice-chancellor of the university Hitesh Deka said that there is no such course such as higher secondary under the Open University.
“There is no course called Higher Secondary in KKHSOU. There is a course called Bachelor in Preparatory Programme (BPP), completion of which makes one eligible for admission into graduation level course,” said Deka.
It is learnt that Oja had completed only BPP course from the varsity but she never took admission for graduate level course. She mentioned the BPP course as ‘higher secondary’ against the highest education column in her nomination paper.
“The BPP course was of six months duration initially but turned into a two year course later. The course was, however, removed from the 2017-18 academic year due to some reasons,” informed the V-C.
Oja’s educational qualification has landed her in a controversy much like Smriti Irani who also got entangled in a “degree controversy” after she declared herself as a graduate from Delhi University in the nomination paper of 2004 Lok Sabha elections but later changed it to B Com Part I in the nomination paper filed for Rajya Sabha in 2011 and the nomination papers filed for 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Controversy shrouds the graduation degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. The Delhi University last year told Delhi High Court that it “cannot share” the details of those students who studied BA in 1978 under the university, the year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had graduated.
Controversy also surrounds the master degree of Narendra Modi from Gujarat University. In this case too, the university has reportedly refused to divulge the details.