IUML locks horns with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over fake signature issue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Muslim League of lapping up the allegations leveled by the BJP, the League leadership hit back reminding the CPM of its past association with the saffron party.

The League's national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty, said there was no reason for the LDF leadership to feel annoyed over his remarks on the chief minister’s `fake' signature issue.  “I had only stated that if the charge is found true then it is a grave matter. It is the responsibility of the chief minister to prove that the signatures are not fake,” he said.

The League leader, while reminding the Left parties of their past, was indirectly referring to outside support given by the CPM and BJP to the VP Singh Government in 1989.

The issue came up on Thursday when BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Warrier alleged that the chief minister’s signature on an official file dated September 6, 2018 was fake.  The chief minister had left for America on September 2, 2018 and returned only on September 23. Therefore the signatures are that of some imposter, he said.

Vijayan refuted the allegations saying during his US trip, files were transferred to him electronically. He said on the date referred to by the BJP leader, he had signed not just this particular file but 39 other files also. “It is my signature. The BJP is making allegations out of ignorance,” he added.

But what irked the chief minister was the manner in which Kunhalikutty, who is also a former IT minister of Kerala, joined the chorus with BJP.

"They (BJP and Muslim League) are buddies so it is only natural for them to take up the issue jointly. If the BJP says something the League and UDF immediately laps it up. The League seems to be more keen than the Congress in supporting the BJP," Vijayan said.

It may be recalled that the chief minister had hit out at Muslim League for taking a `soft’ stand on the Ayodhya bhumi pujan ceremony. He had also accused the League of adopting a "meek response" to the pro Bhumi pujan and pro Mandir stand taken by top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh.

The Muslim League is the second largest party in the Opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala and holds considerable influence in the community. The LDF on the other hand is trying to woo the minorities by campaigning hard against the BJP-Sangh Parivar Hindutva agenda.