HYDERABAD: In a temporary relief to TRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh, the Telangana High Court on Friday suspended for four weeks the orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, declaring that Ramesh is not a citizen of India. The court directed the ministry to produce before it the record pertaining to the petitioner’s stay in Germany when he was granted Indian citizenship.
Justice Challa Kodanda Ram passed the interim order in the petition filed by Chennamaneni Ramesh, representing Vemulawada Assembly segment in Karimnagar district, seeking to set aside the orders issued by the home ministry declaring him as not a citizen of India and that he has obtained the Indian citizenship fraudulently by placing fictitious and false documents before the ministry.
On November 20, the ministry, in its order, said “Under Section 10 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the competent authority decides that Ramesh Chennamaneni ceases to be a citizen of India. It is not conducive to public good that Ramesh continues to be a citizen of India.” Aggrieved with the same, Ramesh moved the High Court for relief.
Senior counsel Vedula Venkata Ramana, appearing for Chennamaneni Ramesh, submitted that the statute does not provide for stripping of the citizenship of a person when his stay in India is conducive to the people of the country. The petitioner being an MLA has taken up many welfare programmes for the people of his constituency since he got elected from that segment, he noted.
Advocate V Ravi Kiran Rao, appearing for Adi Srinivas, who contested in elections against Dr Chennamaneni Ramesh and lost in the consecutive elections, informed the judge that the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, after going through all the material placed before it, has concluded that Dr Ramesh has obtained the Indian citizenship by fraudulent means and by placing false information.
Ravi Kiran Rao said that a person who is a law breaker, now has got access into the Telangana Legislative Assembly and is playing the role of law maker. What sort of impact will the citizens of this country have with such kind of people getting into the Legislative Assembly. Due to the election of Ramesh as an MLA in consecutive elections other candidates were deprived from getting elected and serve the people.
Assistant Solicitor General of India N Rajeshwar Rao told the court that the petitioner had applied for Indian citizenship in March, 2008 and got the citizenship in February, 2009, and during this period he had stayed in Germany for about eight months and he had spent only two months in India.
After hearing both sides, the judge decided to hear the case in detail as the issue involves several legal aspects. After granting interim suspension of the order impugned for four weeks, the judge posted the matter to December 16 for final hearing.
‘Produce the record’
The court directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to produce before it the record pertaining to the petitioner’s stay in Germany when he was granted Indian citizenship