TRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh Babu’s Citizenship Canceled

September 06, 2017 10:53

TRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh Babu’s Citizenship Canceled:- In what is termed as a major setback to the ruling TRS, its party leader and Vemulawada MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh Babu, has been declared as a German citizen.

After verifying the documents provided by Ramesh during the filing of his nomination, the Union Ministry clarified that he could not be treated as an Indian citizen. Hence, his MLA position is likely to be terminated.

The development comes in the wake of SC directions to the Centre. Congress nominee Adi Srinivas, had moved the High Court contending that Ramesh, who had German citizenship, misled the authorities by submitting false details to get the Indian citizenship. Srinivas lost to the then TD candidate Ramesh in 2009 Assembly elections. And he again lost to Ramesh in 2014 polls, when Aadi contested from BJP with a very tender difference.

This automatically disqualifies Ramesh being a voter and also from being elected, claimed the petitioner. He further contended that his opponent claimed Indian citizenship by furnishing false details about his stay in the country.

According to reports, Ramesh had allegedly canceled his Indian citizenship and moved to Germany where he has been working as a professor in an Agricultural University and married a German woman there. So, Ramesh is no longer Indian. As India does not accept dual citizenship, so, Ramesh’s citizenship is now considered as Germany.

However, Chinnamaneni Ramesh stated that he would go to appeal on his citizenship. While Aadi Srinivas demanded that he would be declared as Vemulawada MLA since he has come in the second place, TRS is now worried that a by-election would be announced in Vemulawada.

Ramesh Babu said: “It was crystal clear that I complied with the rule position when I applied for the Indian citizenship. There was a change in rule position soon after I got the Indian citizenship.” According to him, he got the Indian citizenship on February 3, 2009 complying with the rule under Section 5(1)f of the Citizenship Act of 1955.

The section says that anyone seeking Indian citizenship should reside in the country for 12 months before the date of application. The rule position was changed on February 25, 2009 with the authorities amending it as “continuously” residing in the country for 12 months.

Since then the case has seen several twists and turns until recently before the Supreme Court finally directed the Union Home Ministry to take a call on it. Earlier, the High Court in 2013 had set aside his election and categorically said that he is not an Indian citizen. Later, Ramesh has secured a stay from the Supreme Court, contested in 2014 and won again.

Recently the Supreme Court has directed the Central Government to take call on Ramesh’s nationality within three months. Following this, the Home Ministry on Tuesday categorically said that Ramesh continues to be a citizen of Germany, contrary to his claims.

Reacting over the development, Ramesh said: “Will file a revision petition challenging the Home Ministry’s decision.”
He termed it as a turmoil created by the political forcess who have no guts to face him in the people’s court.