Congress MP writes to Modi for probing nationality of union minister Nisith Pramanik

An Indian lawmaker of the main opposition Congress has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to probe allegations that Minister of State for Home in the federal government Nisith Pramanik, from West Bengal, is a Bangladeshi national.

Pramanik, a Lok Sabha member from Cooch Behar, has not issued any statement on the matter so far but sources close to him strongly refuted the allegations, saying the minister was born, brought up and educated in India, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

In his letter, Ripun Bora, president of Congress unit in Assam and a member of Rajya Sabha, took to his Twitter handle to claim that the reports in news channels namely Barak Bangla and Republic TV Tripura and digital media -- India Today and Business Standard -- showed that Pramanik was a Bangladeshi national.

Sharing his letter to the PM on his Twitter handle, Bora wrote "It's a matter of grave concern that a foreign national is an incumbent Union minister. Urging PM@narendramodi in a letter to conduct an enquiry to clarify it."

Citing the media reports, Bora claimed Pramanik's birthplace was Harinathpur under Palasbari Police Station in Gaibandha district of Bangladesh and he reportedly came to West Bengal for computer studies.

After getting a computer degree, he first joined Trinamool Congress and later switched to the BJP and was elected as an MP from Cooch Behar, Bora claimed.

According to the news channels, Bora claimed, Pramanik showed his address as Cooch Behar in election papers "by manipulation".

The channels also highlighted the celebrations including a statement of "his elder brother" and some villagers of his native village in Gaibandha over Nisith Pramanik becoming a federal minister.

"If it is so, this is a very serious matter for the country, that a foreign national is appointed as a union minister. Therefore, I urge upon you to conduct an enquiry about the actual birthplace and nationality of Nisith Pramanik in a most transparent way and clarify the whole issue as it creates confusion across the country," Bora said in his letter to Modi.

When contacted, sources close to Pramanik said he is a "patriotic Indian" who was born, brought up and educated in India and asserted that the allegations were baseless.

The sources said if some relatives of the minister were celebrating in another country, what can he do.

Latching on to Bora's letter to Modi, Trinamool Congress leaders and West Bengal ministers Bratya Basu and Indranil Sen took to the Twitter to attack Pramanik on the issue.

Basu tweeted: "Rajya Sabha MP @ripunbora asking all the right questions! Shame".

Sen, Information and Cultural Affairs Minister, tweeted: "Shocked and stunned to learn that Union Minister @NisithPramanik might be a citizen of Bangladesh! This is of alarming concern to the security of India if an incumbent union minister is a foreign national. How could the @narendramodi Govt. allow for such a security lapse?"