Pranab Mukherjee in trouble over his allegedly Forged Resignation Letter

Presidential Candidate Pranab Mukherjee might face a setback if the present charges of fake resignation letter is proved. Former Lok Sabha speaker Sangma,objected to Mukherjee contesting the presidential poll even as he continued as Indian Statistical Institute  ISI’s chairman, which is an office of profit. Later ISI Kolkata came up with a Formal Resignation Letter by Mukherjee dated June 20.

Opposition BJP has raised objection on this episode by releasing both Mukherjee’s reply to their objections submitted to the returning officer and his resignation letter sent to ISI president to buttress the point that the signatures in the two documents were visibly not identical.

Click here  to view the Resignation Letter of Pranab Mukherjee  to ISI.

Click here to view  other Signature Samples of Pranab Mukherjee

BJP leader Ananth Kumar said: “(ISI president) M.G.K. Menon has to clarify to the country whether it is his (Mukherjee’s) signature on the (resignation) letter. If it is not, what is the mystery about it? The onus is on Menon.”

“The resignation (as ISI chairman) filed by Mukherjee is fabricated; and it is unfortunate that people contesting for such high office are indulging in such kind of activities,” he added.

Sangma’s lawyer and BJP leader Satpal Jain, who had argued the petition against Mukherjee before the returning officer, said: “It is ironical that our objection to his candidature was rejected and his nomination was accepted. This (decision) is illegal.”

Jain noted that Mukherjee, having been elected as ISI chairman by the institution’s council, has effectively quit office only after the council accepts his resignation letter.

“Our battle has just begun,” Jain said, when asked for a future course of action.

Mukherjee, who was away in Lucknow campaigning, was not available to react to Sangma and his team’s allegations against him.

The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) has described as “untrue” the BJP’s allegation that UPApresidential candidate PranabMukherjee’s letter quitting as its chairperson was “fabricated”.

“This is untrue. The letter is still in my custody. I know his signature. It cannot be forged,” the Kolkata-based institute’s director Bimal Roy told IANS.

Roy said Mukherjee had June 20 sent his resignation from the chairman’s post to President Pratibha Patil.

“I received it on June 22. I even had a talk with Mukherjee on the issue before he filed his resignation,” Roy said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who along with Home Minister P. Chidambaram argued Mukerjee’s case before the returning officer, said: “The objections raised by Sangma were taken up by the returning officer and we filed our reply attached with the resignation by Mukherjee and its acceptance by the ISI. These were considered and the objections turned down,” he said.

He said the UPA candidate had prepared himself to contest the presidential poll after his name was cleared and hence the resignation was given on June 20 to the ISI president.

“The resignation was accepted the same day by the president. The council, which meets only in four months, can ratify the resignation at its next meeting. The institution’s consititution does not talk about the means of resignation. Hence, the ISI president can accept the resignation,” he argued.

The controversy, however, resulted in the extension of last day of scrutiny by a day to Tuesday, which is permitted under the law.

Sangma’s lawyer Satpal Jain accused Mukherjee of remaining “silent” on when he submitted the resignation letter.

“Pranab has not mentioned when he gave it (resignation letter). He is silent on it,” Jain said.

He said that that Mukherjee was elected by the ISI’s council and not by the president of the of ISI so his resignation should have been ideally accepted by the council.

Citing the Constitutional article, Jain said: “Holding the office of profit and contesting the presidential election is not valid and amounts to disqualification of candidature. According to constitution, the exception is for contesting the parliamentary election.”

“It is ironical that our objection to his candidature was rejected and his nomination was accepted . This is illegal,” he added.

( With Inputs from Agencies)