RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: Pink party activists in Vemulawada Assembly constituency are in a tough spot now as it has been around eight months since MLA Ch Ramesh Babu has been in Germany, leaving behind his responsibilities as a legislator.
While the High Court is still hearing a writ petition filed by the Vemulawada MLA, challenging the Union Home Ministry’s order revoking his Indian citizenship, the issue has once again become a hot topic in local political circles as Opposition parties have begun making the most of this situation to attack the legislator for turning a blind eye to his duties.What makes the situation worse for local TRS activists and leaders is the fact that they still don’t have a proper reason with which they can tackle the arrows of criticism being fired by the Opposition leaders regarding the absence of the MLA.As a result, the pink panthers have been in the doldrums since February, 2020 when Ch Ramesh Babu left for Germany.
Congress leads attack
Congress leader Adi Srinivas, who was defeated by Ch Ramesh Babu in the 2018 Assembly elections, has been at the forefront of the battle against the legislator since the entire row started almost a decade back.
Ramesh Babu moved to Germany in the 80s and received his new citizenship in the 90s. He reapplied for Indian citizenship in March 2008, for contesting in the General elections. However, Adi Srinivas filed a petition objecting to Ramesh Babu’s citizenship, claiming that he visited Germany during the one year of continuous stay mandatory to obtain the citizenship.
Speaking to Express, Srinivas mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has already dismissed the citizenship claim of the MLA multiple times and that the Centre also confirmed that Ramesh Babu left for Germany from the Chennai Airport on February 10, 2020, on a German passport. Srinivas went further and alleged that the MLA has been cheating the people of the constituency with two passports. “As the MHA has revoked Ramesh’s citizenship, I am hopeful that the High Court order too will be in my favour,” Adi Srinivas said.The HC has posted the hearing on a writ petition filed by the MLA to December 16. In case the HC accepts the MHA’s decision, Ramesh Babu will lose his citizenship and in turn his MLA seat.