Telangana Rashtra Samithi legislator from Vemulawada Chennamaneni Ramesh, whose Indian citizenship has been cancelled by the Union ministry of home affairs on Wednesday, challenged the move in the high court on Thursday.
Ramesh had filed a fresh petition seeking justice as he had already given up the German citizenship and if India also cancels his citizenship, he would be nowhere.
Since he is a responsible MLA, he should be granted the citizenship. The petition is expected to come up for hearing on Friday.
Interestingly, hours before he filed the petition challenging the Centre’s order, his political rival in Vemulawada and senior Congress leader Adi Srinivas filed a caveat petition in the high court to prevent Ramesh from moving the court on his Indian citizenship.
Srinivas requested the court to keep him informed if Ramesh challenged the MHA decision. He said Ramesh cheated the government and also the people with his false affidavit.
Ramesh had gone to Germany in early ‘90s and obtained German Citizenship in 1993, when he surrendered his Indian passport.
In 2008, he returned to India and applied for Indian citizenship which was granted to him by the MHA in 2009. He won the election from Vemulawada assembly constituency in 2009.
As per the Citizenship Act, a person who applies for an Indian citizenship should be present in India at least for 12 months before the date of application.
But Srinivas lodged a complaint with the MHA stating that Ramesh still held the German passport and had gone to Germany within this stipulated period of 12 months before being granted Indian citizenship.