The controversy surrounding the age of two sons of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad took a new turn on Tuesday with Mr. Prasad saying the years mentioned in the voter list are final, but the BJP urged the Election Commission to order a probe.
The controversy arose when Mr. Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap in his nomination filed on Monday said his age was 25 whereas a few days ago, his younger brother Tejaswi Yadav’s papers said his age was 26, a year older than his elder brother. Both are contesting the Assembly polls from the Mahua and Raghopur constituencies of Vaishali district.
Unfazed, Mr. Prasad said: “They have mentioned their age in the affidavit as given in their voter identity card ... age in the voter card is final ... If age is written as 80 on the voter ID it will be final and has to be mentioned in the nomination papers.”
Mr. Tejaswi Yadav said, “One has to enter the age in nomination papers as mentioned in the voter ID… there might be printing error in the voter ID.”
Both father and son wondered “why such a fuss is being made?”
“The BJP is unnecessarily kicking up a controversy as they have no other issue,” said Mr. Prasad.
Earlier, local media reports said Mr. Tejaswi Yadav, a cricketer, was not even “matriculate” but a “crorepati” (millionaire) as his nomination said. His affidavit showed he had studied up to Class IX at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, Delhi, and has moveable assets worth Rs. 1.4 crore, and immovable property to the tune of Rs. 91.5 lakh.
Meanwhile, the BJP has urged the Election Commission to probe the age controversy. “I am sure Tejaswi must have studied up to Class X. As it was mentioned in the nomination papers, he has to submit the board certificate and that would have revealed his true age,” said State BJP president Mangal Pandey.
Lok Janshakti Party MP Chirag Paswan said, “The jungle raj during the RJD regime was so pervading that they registered their age according to their own free will.”
