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Firing a fresh salvo at Uttar Pradesh Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said his letter of resignation from the Indian Statistical Institute is 'fabricated' and it is mulling legal options.
Alleging that the resignation letter was prepared at the last minute only to save his nomination, the party asked both Mukherjee and eminent scientist MGK Menon, who is the President of the Institute, to come clean on the issue.
"BJP alleges that it is a 100 per cent fabricated document....It's very unfortunate that persons contesting such offices as President of India are indulging in illegal activities. We are demanding justice from the Election Commission," BJP General Secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters in New Delhi.
BJP leader and P A Sangma's counsel Satya Pal Jain said the signatures of Mukherjee on the reply to the objections raised by it and that on his resignation letter do not tally.
"There are apprehensions on the genuineness of this document. This seems to have been manufactured after we raised objections to his nomination," said Jain.
On what action the party was contemplating on the matter after their objections were rejected by the returning officer for the President's election, the BJP leader said the party was exploring various options, including legal.
"The battle has just begun. We will fight it out. It is a battle for justice. Very clearly, we are telling, all (our) options are open," said Ananth Kumar.
BJP demanded rejection of Mukherjee's nomination alleging he was holding an office of profit as chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute.
BJP also said since the Indian Statistical Institute comprised of a council, its president cannot accept the resignation letter without without circulating it to the council members.