Goa Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes was on Monday caught up in a citizenship row with an activist accusing him of holding a Portuguese citizenship since 2014 and sought his resignation from the post.
Asserting that he is an Indian citizen, Fernandes challenged the activist, Aires Rodrigues, to approach court if he wants.
Rodrigues said Fernandes "being a Portuguese citizen since the year 2014" was not eligible to hold any Constitutional post.
"Authorities in Lisbon have furnished a documentary proof to the effect that the current Canacona MLA and deputy speaker had obtained Portuguese nationality on April 22, 2014. Fernandes should resign as MLA and Deputy Speaker immediately," Rodrigues demanded.
Fernandes, however, said he was very much an Indian citizen.
"I am not a fool to contest elections had I asked for Portuguese citizenship," he told reporters, hours after Rodrigues's post on social media.
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"I never applied for a Portuguese passport. I have not taken citizenship of any other country. If Rodrigues want, he can challenge it before court," he said.
Fernandes, who represents Canacona constituency, was one of the ten MLAs of the Congress who had defected to the ruling BJP earlier this month.
He was unanimously elected as Deputy Speaker only last week.
Meanwhile, Rodrigues has requested Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to ensure that Fernandes refunds all emoluments he had been receiving since April 2014.