Subba denies allegation, says he is Indian

NEW DELHI: Breaking his silence on the controversy over his nationality, Congress MP MK Subba on Tuesday said he is a citizen of India and denied reports that he was jailed in Nepal on murder charges.

In a press conference at his official residence, the MP from Assam's Tezpur constituency, however, did not furnish any documents to back his claim, just saying the issue was before the Supreme Court and he would not like to risk contempt of court.

Subba said similar charges were levelled against him in the past by newspapers and he had successfully challenged all of them in courts. He termed the report about him by an English TV news channel as malicious and fraudulent.

"I am a citizen of India and can prove it in any court," the beleagured MP said but failed to give satisfactory replies to a volley of questions on his place and date of birth in the country.

"I can't say anything. I have submitted all the documents in the court. If I say anything it will be contempt of court," he kept on saying when repeatedly asked to show documents to prove his Indian nationality.

The lawmaker claimed Nepal had said he was not a resident or citizen of that country. Subba also furnished a copy of a letter purportedly written by Nepal's home ministry in 1998 that said he was not a citizen of three of that country's districts.

Subba also denied that he was jailed in Nepal in the early 1970s. He said the English translation of a letter purportedly written in Nepali by authorities at the Ilam Jail and shown by the TV channel was wrong.

"The letter in Nepalese has the name of one Mani Raj Limboo in it, whereas the translation says Mani Raj Limboo alias Mani Kumar Subba. The original letter does not say anything about any photograph while the translation says the photograph is certified by jail authorities," he claimed.

Subba claimed his photograph shown by the channel on the letter saying that he was imprisoned on murder charges in the early 1970s was actually taken by him in 1994 at a studio in Connaught Place.

He also displayed his photographs taken in 1978 and 1981 to back his argument, and said he would file a defamation suit against the TV channel.

Subba said he has been an MP twice and MLA thrice, and claimed his nomination papers for elections were never rejected.