Hyderabad: Vemulawada Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislator Chennamaneni Ramesh’s Indian citizenship claim suffered a jolt on Tuesday when the Union ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ruled that it was not sustainable. MHA joint secretary issued the order which the legislator said he will challenge soon.
"We will appeal to the secretary of the Home Ministry. We received the information just now and we have 30 days to submit an appeal for a revision. As per the act, there is a provision to appeal against the joint secretary's decision," said Ramesh.
The Supreme Court had on August 28 directed the Union Home Ministry to submit a report within six weeks on Ramesh's citizenship status following a petition filed by former chairman of Rajarajeswara Swamy Devasthanam, Vemulawada, Adi Srinivas in 2010.
Ramesh was an Indian citizen by birth and after moving to Germany, renounced his Indian citizenship in 1993 to take up German citizenship. Later, with the intention of contesting elections back in India, he re-applied for Indian citizenship on March 31, 2008.
Responding to the apex court's direction, MHA clarified that Ramesh's claim for citizenship would not hold. As per the guidelines issued by the Centre, a person should reside in India for at least 365 days prior to their application for the citizenship.
Ramesh being elected MLA was declared null and void by the High Court in 2013, as it held that he was not a citizen of India on the date of election. Ramesh challenged this in the Supreme Court and the court stayed the High Court’s order but made it clear that he shall not be entitled to vote in the assembly.
Ramesh is the son of veteran communist leader Ch Rajeshwar Rao and successfully contested from Vemulawada first on the Telugu Desam Party ticket in 2009 and as a TRS candidate in the 2010 by-election. He once again won from Vemulawada on the TRS ticket in 2014.
A petition was pending before the court under Section 10(5) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Ramesh has been contending that he obtained Indian citizenship on February 23, 2009, just before the Centre made changes to the citizenship guidelines.
Earlier, the guidelines allowed anybody who has stayed in India for a year to apply for the citizenship, which was later changed to 365 days prior to the application. While Ramesh had claimed that he was in India for more than a year before filing his citizenship application, his rival Srinivas had said that Ramesh had stayed only for 96 days in India prior to his application to the home ministry in 2008.
When contacted, chief electoral officer Bhanwarlal ruled out any decision by the Election Commission. "We have conducted the election in 2014 based on the citizenship of Ramesh at that time. If the Centre cancels that, then the Supreme Court has the power to decide the fate of the legislator," he said.
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