New Delhi, July 3: The presidential poll returning officer has rejected the objections to the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee but the BJP today termed as “fabricated” the resignation letter of the UPA from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

The BJP said it had all options open before it, including legal, and would decide on the matter soon.

The BJP also alleged the resignation letter of Mukherjee had been prepared only to save his nomination for the presidential election and asked both Mukherjee and eminent scientist M.G.K. Menon, who is the president of the Institute, to come clean on the issue.

“The 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.… We are waiting for a certified copy of the returning officer’s order. It is open for all types of further action,” BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters.

The purported signature of Pranab Mukherjee in his resignation letter to ISI (left) and (right) the signature on the letter the presidential candidate wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretary-general on Tuesday. Both documents were released by the BJP

BJP leader and presidential candidate 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, 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.

Jain said: “We will take the next step after discussing within the party. The next step will be taken after discussing all legal aspects.”

The BJP — visibly chuffed after digging the dirt on Mukherjee — was mulling over four options to dilate its campaign: move the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of his nomination, petition the Election Commission, file an election petition before the apex court after the election and “go to the people”.

Sources conceded it was “highly improbable” that the court or the EC would want to take cognizance of its charges and stall the election process mid-way. Filing a post-poll plaint was the “obvious choice”. But they stressed that by flagging the allegations at the start of their discourse, they might have put Mukherjee and the Congress on the “backfoot”.

“Our main objective is to tar Mukherjee and the UPA government’s diminishing credibility in people’s minds. The Congress was celebrating the support it picked up for Mukherjee from across the political spectrum as a major electoral victory. We want to project it as a dubious victory,” a source said.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha secretary-general V.K. Agnihotri, the returning officer, told reporters after completion of scrutiny of papers: “Only Pranab Mukherjee and Sangma are in the fray after their nomination papers were found valid in all respects. The final list of candidates will be made after the last day of withdrawal of nominations tomorrow.”

He declined to divulge the details or the reasoning behind the rejection of Sangma’s objection to Mukherjee’s candidature that the UPA nominee stood disqualified as he still held an office of profit, saying he has to get the clearance of the poll panel. The ISI web site had shown Mukherjee as the chairman till yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday evening, ISI director Bimal Roy had told The Telegraph: “Yes, certainly, Mr Mukherjee did resign on June 20, this year. Our website is usually updated once a month or so. It was my mistake really, I should have had it updated immediately after his resignation.”

According to Roy, Mukherjee had been the chairman of the council since September 2004. “He was very regular. He always gave us time. I don’t remember when he missed a council meeting,” said Roy.

Sources said Mukherjee “never” received any money in the form of compensation or honorarium for his contribution.