The Centre on Wednesday has declared that ruling TRS party MLA of Vemulawada in Rajanna-Sircilla district, Chennamaneni Ramesh, ceased to be Indian citizen.
An order depriving the MLA of his citizenship was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Union government observed that it would not have granted citizenship to Mr. Ramesh had he disclosed that he had not resided in India continuously for one year before applying for citizenship in 2008.
Citing a Supreme Court verdict which observed that Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion, the order said Mr. Ramesh had greater responsibility as public representative to make fair submissions. Noting the MLA had no criminal background, the order said “absence of criminal charge doesn’t mean that person having inclination to misrepresent would be doing good.”
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Being members of an august body of Legislative Assembly taking decisions affecting lakhs of people, misrepresentation or hiding facts would not be conductive to public good, the Centre said. If the MLA’s citizenship was not annulled on the ground that he was not involved in any serious crimes like terrorism, others might try to obtain Indian citizenship by concealing material facts, the order said.
Originally, the Centre had cancelled his citizenship more than two years ago stating that he had obtained citizenship by playing fraud upon the government. He was then accused of concealing crucial details of his visits abroad during the last 12 months immediately preceding his citizenship application form in 2008.
Though Mr. Ramesh filed a review application soon after that order issued on August 31, 2017, the Centre dismissed it. No new facts were presented by him, the then Centre’s order said.
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Mr. Ramesh could not be reached on his mobile phone but his spokesperson Vinay said the MLA would move the High Court again seeking restoration of Indian citizenship. The MLA said in the statement that he hoped to secure justice.