Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 3 (IANS): Back in the day, had a Communist Chief Minister done what Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan did on Thursday, it would have been considered scandalous.

State BJP leader Sandip Warrier had alleged that the signature of Chief Minister Vijayan was "forged" on a government file while he was on a trip to the US for medical reasons in 2018.

Vijayan, when asked about it, took out his iPad in a flash and waved it at the media.

"The signature on the file is my own and it pertained to a function to be held on Kerala Day. On September 6, 2018, I signed 39 files."

Waving the iPad , he said "I get all the files on this. Just like you (media) have, I also have this when I go for trips and I use the digital signature and send the file back."

"It was on August 24, 2013 that the Kerala government order came announcing that file processing will be under e-office procedures," added Vijayan.

Earlier in the day, speaking to the media here Warrier said Vijayan had left for the US for his medical treatment on September 2, 2018.

"He returned to the state after his treatment on September 23. On September 3, a file from the general administration department regarding a function for promotion of Malayalam, according to the records, arrived at Vijayan's office. On September 7, this file was signed by Vijayan," said Warrier.

"How can this happen, when Vijayan is in the US. This clearly shows that someone else has put Vijayan's signature. The signature also is not an e-signature. So now we all want Vijayan to explain, who is putting his signature in his absence," said Warrier.

Warrier also said though this was an insignificant file, "but the mystery remains on who has put his signature."