Smriti Irani's degrees should be verified: Modi's brother Prahlad

Ghaziabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's younger brother Prahlad today said educational qualifications of HRD Minister Smriti Irani should be verified as being done in the case of former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar.

Prahlad, vice-president of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation (AIFPSDF), said this while interacting with reporters here. "Just as degrees of AAP MLA and former Delhi Minister Jitender Singh Tomar are being verified, a probe should be carried out into Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani's degrees," he said.

Prahlad Modi

AAP and Congress have been demanding the Centre to probe the charges of false educational qualification against Irani. When asked about the row over help to tainted former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi by Union Minister Sushma Swaraj for travel documents, Prahlad said it was done on "humanitarian" grounds and the issue should not be unnecessarily hyped.

On the issue of blackmoney stashed abroad, he said, "The central government is making all efforts. Blackmoney stashed in India is far more than that in foreign countries." Suggesting that LPG cylinders should be supplied through ration shops, the AIFPSDF vice-president said, "Just as grocery is distributed from ration shops, LPG cylinders should also be supplied through them so that the income of such dealers increases and corruption gets checked."