BJP alleges Kerala CM's signature was forged in a file; govt may use digital transmission as defence

BJP has alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's signature was faked in a government file while Vijayan was abroad.

BJP Kerala official spokesperson Sandeep G Varier said on Thursday that Vijayan's signature dated Sept 13, 2018 was found on a file while the Chief Minister had gone to US for medical treatment. It was not a digital signature and the file reached CMO and left the CMO while Vijayan was abroad, he said.

However, a government source told DH that many files used to be digitally transmitted to the CM while he was abroad and he would examine those and would be returned digitally. The said file also seemed to be one such. This was a common practice by many CMs to avoid pendency of files and ensure smooth governance. Vijayan is also likely to give a formal clarification in this regard soon and it would become yet another damp squib by BJP, said the official.

Varier said that the file in question was not a sensitive one. It pertained to Malayalam day and official language week celebrations. But there could be many such files in which CM's signature was forged and hence a probe was required into all files handled by the CMO.

Vijayan left for US on September 2, 2018 and returned on September 23. The said file reached CMO on September 3 and Vijayan's signature on it was dated September 9. The file was returned from the CMO on September 13.

Making a jibe at the CM, Varier asked if Vijayan entrusted any consultancy for using his signature in his absence or whether his former principal secretary M Sivasankar and former official of UAE consulate Swapna Suresh were delegated to sign files. He also asked if removal of CPM leader M V Jayarajan from CM's private secretary post (in 2019) had any connection with faking signs.

BJP state president K Surendran said earlier during the day that once the fresh allegation come up, Vijayan would have no moral right to continue in office.

The Opposition UDF also demanded the state government to give a clarification on the matter. If CM's signature was put by someone in the absence of CM, it would be a serious matter, said the IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty.