New Delhi: The Opposition BJP's move to take the controversy over the Lok Sabha MP Moni Kumar Subba's nationality to Parliament received a setback on Wednesday.
A meeting of political leaders, convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, decided that Parliament cannot determine the nationality of any member and it should better be left to the court and the Election Commission to decide.
In fact, there was a consensus in the meeting that Parliament cannot determine the nationality of any member and it was the job of the Election Commission or the court of law.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters that the meeting was told that the case pertaining to Subba was already pending before the Supreme Court.
The government and the Congress had so far maintained that it was for the Speaker to decide on the issue.
On Tuesday, Subba broke his silence on the issue, asserting that he is a citizen of India and denied reports that he had been jailed in Nepal on murder charges.
In a press conference convened at his official residence, the MP from Assam's Tezpur constituency, however, failed to furnish any documents to back his claim. He rather said the issue was before the Supreme Court and he would not like to risk contempt of court.
Meanwhile, the Congress has also given a clean chit to Subba, saying it was "satisfied with the documents provided by him" to prove his Indian nationality and there is no question of any action against him.
"I have personally verified the documents and details about Subba and nothing adverse was found," Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge of party affairs in Assam, said.
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