HYDERABAD: While extending the interim stay by another eight weeks on the orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs declaring TRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh as not a citizen of India, the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Central government to file counter affidavit informing whether the petitioner MLA has renounced his German citizenship or not.
Justice Challa Kodanda Ram passed the 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 submitting fictitious and false documents.
On earlier occasion, the judge suspended the order impugned for four weeks. On November 20 this year, 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, he now moved the High Court for relief. After perusing the material available on record, Justice Kodanda Ram pointed out that there is no finding as to whether the petitioner has renounced his German citizenship or not. Besides, there is no mention on this issue even in the order passed by another judge earlier. The Centre has also not given any clarity in this regard, the judge observed. Senior counsel Vedula Venkata Ramana, appearing for the petitioner, 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.
On the other hand, advocate V Ravi Kiran Rao, appearing for Adi Srinivas, who contested in elections against Chennamaneni Ramesh and lost in the consecutive elections, submitted that the Home Ministry, after going through all the material placed before it, has concluded that Ramesh has obtained the Indian citizenship by fraudulent means and by placing false information. In fact, the petitioner is holding two passports, he alleged.
Assistant Solicitor General N Rajeshwar Rao, appearing for the Central government, submitted 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, Justice Kodanda Ram directed the Centre to file counter affidavit and adjourned the case hearing by four weeks.