K G Bopaiah accused of faking age, lawmaker says charges crop up during polls

MADIKERI: A complaint has been filed against MLA and former Speaker KG Bopaiah, alleging that he has faked his age in the documents to contest the elections from Virajpet.

The complainant P B Thimmaiah has alleged that Bopaiah had submitted his nomination papers by giving incorrect information about his age. In the complaint, Thimmaiah has mentioned Bopaiah, who was a Bar Council member in October 1979, had recorded his date of birth as October 17, 1951. But Bopaiah was 53 years old at the time of the 2004 elections and has furnished incorrect information that he was 49 at the time of the elections, the letter said.

KG Bopaiah spoke to the media and clarified about the allegations regarding his age on Friday.

Bopaiah was 61 years old at the time of the 2013 election. But he had given false information to the Election Commission stating that he was 58 years old. He was 67 during the 2018 election, Thimmaiah said and has alleged that Bopaiah faked his age as 65. He contended that this is a serious offence under the election rules and has filed a complaint with the departments concerned and the police for appropriate action.

Speaking to the media, Bopaiah clarified saying, “My father, who was unlettered, had given the details of my birth date and I had been following the birth date given by my father. During every election, there is a gang in Madikeri that makes such accusations against me. Some so-called environmentalists are behind me. I will not belittle them for their pettiness. All my documents have the same date of birth and the party decided that I should face the election. There is no question of fearing accusations. No one can take away the seats of the BJP in the two constituencies.”