BJP again rakes up Pranab's 'forged' signature issue

Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), July 6 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party Friday again raked up the issue of an allegedly forged signature of UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee on his letter of resignation from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

"It's an immoral act...strange that Mukherjee forgot to resign from the post of ISI chairman, an office of profit, at the time of filing nomination (for the presidential poll)" BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told mediapersons.

She was here to open a three-day national workshop of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the party's youth wing.

She said that in an attempt to save Mukherjee's nomination papers from rejection, a letter of resignation was hurriedly prepared and a forged signature was put on it.

"Even a child can spot the difference in the signatures of Mukherjee on two documents, one on the resignation letter and the other on his nomination paper," Swaraj said.

Mukherjee Wednesday denied that the signature on his letter of resignation from the Kolkata-based ISI was "forged".

To a question whether the BJP would formally complain to the chief election commissioner against the returning officer's order rejecting P.A. Sangma's demand to disqualify Mukherjee, Sushma replied, "the decision will be taken by Sangma himself."

"There is also an option to take the matter to court," she added.

Sangma has the backing of several opposition parties, including the BJP, for the July 19 presidential poll.