Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the candidate of Congress and supported by Trinamul Congress in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday trashed the charge of Left Front candidate Rabin Deb that the former had allegedly stated a false age in his 2006 nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections for which his nomination papers should be cancelled. The elections are scheduled to be held on Friday.

Expressing surprise as to why no objection has been raised in 2006 and thereafter, Singhvi felt that the charge against him to be “puerile, petty, malicious and defamartory”. The Congress nominee felt that it will lower the prestige of the complainant and the political outfit he belongs to.

It was a typographical error, Singhvi said, referring to the mention of his age in the nomination papers of his 2006 Rajya Sabha elections when he was Congress nominee for Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. The CPI-M nominee knows he does not stand a chance of victory and in his desparation making wild allegations, he said.

The date of his birth is 24 February, 1959, the Congress nominee said and added that it finds mention in numerous documents of pertaining to his educational career at home and abroad.

Besides it is the same in many documents of Rajya Sabha which include affidavits, website, curriculum vitae, he said.

Underscoring his point, Singhvi said that he had not suppressed or misstated his age in the 2018 documents for Rajya Sabha. The age as stated in the 2006 Rajya Sabha document was a “clear typographical error (if it at all exists)”, he said.

Firing broadsides at the complainant, Singhvi pointed out that being above 30 years of age even by the 2006 documents, the alleged typographical error does not disqualify him from contesting in that Rajya Sabha elections.

Moreover, even his political rival has not been able to point out any irregularity in the nomination papers that were submitted for the 2018 Rajya Sabha elections, he said.

The Congress candidate stated that he a copy of his rejoinder has been sent to Election Commission to show the “frivolous and vexatious” nature of the complaint. But he has not received any intimation or notice, he added.