Letter to Obama: Signatures of MPs Forged?

After several MPs from Congress and other secular parties expressed their anti-Modi feelings by writing a letter to the US President Barack Obama not to grant Visa to Gujarat Chief Minister, controversy intensified with 9 lawmakers who claimed that their signatures were forged.

Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday denied any petition to the US president Obama seeking denial of US visa to Narendra Modi. Even, DMK MP from Rajya Sabha KP Ramalingam, CPI MP Achutan, NCP MPs Vandana Chavan and Sanjeev Naik, Congress MPs Marotrao Kowase, Anil Lad and Jayantrao Avale also refused to have signed the letter. When the signatures of MPs sparked criticism against them, two Congress MPs Pradip Bhattacharya and Joy Abraham pretended not to have signed any letter to Obama.

Yechury frankly said that he never wanted any external force to interfere in the internal affairs of India undermining its sovereignty. Country’s internal issues should be settled in India politically, he said, adding that the letter suggested a cut and paste job.

On the other hand, Independent MP from Rajya Sabha Mohammed Adeeb, who collected the signatures of 25 Rajya Sabha and 40 Lok Sabha MPs, expressed surprise on Yechury’s statement. He said that Yechury had signed the letter in November 2012. The RS MP was ready to resign and go to jail if the signatures on the letter to Obama were proved forged.

The letter was reportedly signed by 65 Mps including Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader MP Achuthan, JD (U) MPs Sabir Ali and Ali Anwar, Rasheed Masood (Congress), Sultan Ahmed (Trinamool Congress) Asaduddin Owaisi (Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen), Thirumavalavan (Viduthalai Chiruttaigal Katchi), KP Ramalingam (DMK), SS Rasmasubbu (Congress), Congress leaders P L Punia, Hussain Dalwai, Alka Kshatriya, Hanumantha Rao, Pradeep Bhattacharya and Praveen Rashtrapal.