In a landmark ruling on 9 December 2024, the Telangana High Court stripped former BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh of his Indian citizenship, declaring him a German citizen. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh for concealing his German citizenship and misleading the judiciary. This decision marks the first instance of a former legislator losing their Indian citizenship.
Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, in his judgment, stated that Ramesh’s actions since 2009 had deprived genuine Indian citizens of their right to contest elections. The court upheld the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision to revoke Ramesh’s Indian citizenship, citing his status as a German national. The ruling also highlighted that Ramesh had failed to provide any documentation from the German embassy confirming he was no longer a citizen of Germany.
The case stems from a petition filed by Congress functionary Aadi Srinivas, who argued that Ramesh had naturalized as a German citizen in the 1990s after settling in Germany. In Germany, Ramesh worked, married, and raised a family. Despite acquiring Indian citizenship in 2008, Ramesh had retained his German passport and citizenship, which led to questions about the validity of his electoral candidacy.
Ramesh, who represented the Vemulawada constituency for four terms between 2009 and 2018, won elections while concealing his dual nationality. In his final electoral attempt, Ramesh contested in the November 2023 election with forged documents, presenting himself as an Indian national, despite holding German citizenship. The court found that his concealment of facts had misled both the Indian government and the electorate.
The Telangana High Court had earlier been informed by the central government that Ramesh held a German passport valid until 2023. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an order in 2020 revoking his Indian citizenship, citing Ramesh’s failure to disclose his German citizenship during the application process. The Ministry further stated that had Ramesh revealed he had not resided in India for the required period before applying for Indian citizenship, the government would not have granted his request.
In response, Ramesh filed a petition challenging the Home Ministry’s order. He was asked by the court to submit an affidavit detailing his German passport’s surrender and proof that he had renounced his German citizenship. In 2013, the undivided Andhra Pradesh High Court had quashed Ramesh’s bypoll victory on similar grounds, though he later secured a stay from the Supreme Court.
The Telangana High Court’s decision is a significant moment in Indian electoral law, as it reaffirms the requirement that only Indian citizens are eligible to contest elections or vote.
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