Hyderabad: Vemulawada MLA, Dr Chennamaneni Ramesh, secured temporary relief in the High Court on Friday on the question of his citizenship.
While dealing with Ramesh’s petition challenging the order of union home ministry, Justice Challa Kodandaram granted an interim suspension for four weeks on the order of the under secretary, declaring the petitioner as ‘not a citizen of India.’
The judge further directed N. Rajeshwara Rao, assistant solicitor general of India (ASG), representing the union home ministry, to produce records pertaining to Ramesh’s residence in Germany when he was granted Indian citizenship.
During arguments, the ASG said Ramesh applied for an Indian citizenship on 31 March, 2008 and got the citizenship on 03 February 2009. In between this period, the petitioner stayed in Germany and the period of time he spent in India is only two months. Adv. Vedula Venkataramana, the counsel representing Ramesh, said that the statute does not provide for stripping the citizenship of a person when his stay in India is conducive to the people of the country. Adv. Ravi Kiran Rao, counsel for Adi Srinivas, who contested in the elections against Ramesh and lost said that the government of India, home ministry, after going through all the material placed before it, has concluded that the petitioner has obtained Indian Citizenship by fraudulent means and by placing false information.
