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Saturday, May 01, 2004

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And now a row on age

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, APRIL 30 .After the fusillade between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the marriage of Dharmendra, the film-star candidate from Bikaner Lok Sabha seat, another salvo has been fired, this time, on the age of senior Congress leader, Balram Jakhar.

It is the former Union Minister and BJP leader, Jagdeep Dhankar, who has come out with what he explains as a "serious incongruence'' in the age given by Mr. Jakhar, who is a Congress candidate from Churu. The affidavit furnished by Mr.Jakhar to the returning officer in Churu at the time of filing nominations has mentioned his age as 76 years.

Mr.Dhankar, who managed to lay his hands on the date of birth of Mr.Jakhar, who has his permanent address at Panjkosi village of tehsil Abohar in Ferozpur district of Punjab, points out that it is August 23, 1923. That makes Mr. Jakhar 81 years of age on August 23 this year.

To corroborate his finding, Mr.Dhankar has produced documentary evidence like the MPs Who is Who when Mr.Jakhar was elected from Sikar (10th Lok Sabha) and during his previous innings as MP from Bikaner in the twelfth Lok Sabha. There is also a copy of the printed document showing Mr.Jakhar as MP from Ferozpur in Punjab in 1980 which too has the date of birth.

"Mr.Jakhar has put himself and the Congress party in the dock. The Congress party owes an explanation to the voters in this regard,'' Mr.Dhankar, who himself is actively campaigning for the BJP nominee and outgoing MP, Ramsingh Kaswan in Churu told a group of media persons here today. "The other day the Congress spokesperson, Kapil Sibal, was talking about propriety. What could be the party stand in this regard,'' he asked. "We have heard of women hiding their real age. Here is a Congress candidate who has lied on oath,'' Mr. Dhankar pointed out. "This is a criminal misrepresentation of facts,'' he noted.

Why should have Mr.Jakhar, a former Speaker of the Lok Sabha with a long innings in public life, shown his age four years less than seemingly what it really is? According to Mr.Dhankar winning chances get reduced drastically once the candidate crosses the age of 80 years.

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