Ex-BRS MLA, Declared German Citizen By Court, Continues To Draw Pension Up To Rs 60,000 Per Month – Delhi News Daily

Ex-BRS MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh (Image credit: X/KTRBRS)

In December 2024, the Telangana High Court ruled that Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader Chennamaneni Ramesh was not an Indian citizen, slapping him with a Rs 30 lakh fine for concealing his German citizenship while contesting the state assembly elections. Almost a year later, he continues to receive his pension amounting to Rs 60,000 from the Telangana assembly as a former MLA.

Being a German citizen, Ramesh is not entitled to any government benefits, Vemulawada Congress MLA Adi Srinivas has argued. He has also appealed to the assembly secretary to recover the benefits, emoluments and salary given to the former MLA of the Vemulawada constituency.

“I had requested the assembly secretary earlier not to pay Chennamaneni Ramesh his pension as the court had said he committed a fraud by suppressing facts about his citizenship,” Congress’s Adi Srinivas, who challenged Ramesh’s citizenship in court, said on Monday, as quoted by Times of India.

The Vemulawada MLA also warned that he will knock on the doors of the High Court if the issue persists. “As there has been no action, I am again requesting the assembly secretary and speaker to stop his pension immediately. I will approach the High Court on this issue again, if required,” he said.

As per assembly rules, ex-MLAs are entitled to pensions along with other monetary benefits, including medical reimbursements.

Srinivas highlighted that the Telangana HC in December 2024 had ruled that Ramesh was not an Indian citizen, upholding the centre’s order from 2019.

“How can a foreigner be eligible for pension benefits from the Indian govt?” Srinivas asked. Sources said that the assembly secretary had earlier explained to Srinivas that the High Court order did not mention anything about recovering pension, as reported by the outlet.

Meanwhile, Telangana’s former advocate general K Rama Krishna Reddy outlined that it rests with the assembly speakers to decide whether Ramesh can receive the pension or not. “The legislative secretary cannot decide on pension issues as he does not have adjudicating powers. Assembly speakers can decide whether Ramesh is entitled to the pension or not, as it is the decision post-disposal of the court case. Srinivas can also approach the ‘competent court’ on the issue”, he said.

Secured German citizenship in the 90s

According to a report by TOI, Chennamaneni  Ramesh secured German citizenship back in the 1990s through the process of naturalisation. He secured a job, married a German woman and had kids there.

Despite Ramesh’s claims that he had given up his German citizenship long ago, documents by the union government revealed that he had retained his German Passport and citizenship all along, said the report.