It is a season of pouring trouble for the Modi government. As the issue of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s humanitarian gesture misfires, a Delhi court has taken cognisance of a complaint filed against human resources development minister Smriti Irani.

The case relates to allegations of giving false information about her educational qualification in three affidavits filed before the Election Commission (EC) while filing her nominations for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls.

“It is held that the present complaint case is filed under limitation (of time). Cognisance is taken. The matter be now fixed for pre-summoning evidence on August 28," Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain said on Wednesday.The court on June 1 reserved its order on consideration of the complaint filed by a freelance writer Ahmer Khan.

Ahmer Khan had alleged that Smriti Irani, in her three affidavits before the election commissionwhile filing nominations for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections in different years, had purportedly given different details about her educational qualification.

Irani declared herself to be a 1996 batch B.A. graduate from Delhi University in her affidavit filed for the 2004 Lok Sabha election. But in her 2014 Lok Sabha election affidavit, she stated she had done B.Com Part 1 in 1994 from Delhi University.

The petition claimed that Irani also lied on oath about her assets and it sought action against her for offences under the Representation of the People Act.