Telangana CM Calls US Visit Denial an Insult, Alleges Gujarat Bias
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy calls the MEA's denial of his US trip an insult, alleging the Centre favors Gujarat over his state.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday described the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) refusal to permit his US visit as an "insult" to the state, alleging political discrimination by the central government.
Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad, Reddy said the denial was a blow to the self-respect of Telangana's 4 crore people. He contrasted his situation with that of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who was recently allowed to travel to the US and Canada to promote the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027.
"The political reason for which I was denied permission was that the central government favours Gujarat and not Telangana," Reddy said.
The Chief Minister said his proposed trip was intended to lead a 'Telangana Rising' delegation to attract investments in education and sports. He specifically mentioned plans to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Harvard University and other US institutions to bring educational specialists to the state.
"I went to the US earlier to study at Harvard University. This time, I did not go for myself. I went for the state and I was denied permission," he said, adding that the trip would have benefited students from Dalit, Adivasi, and Bahujan communities.
Addressing speculation about meetings with US officials, Reddy clarified that no appointments were fixed with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or US Vice President J D Vance. "Besides, Mamdani is not an anti-social element. He is an elected Mayor," he said, adding that he had not even applied for permission to meet them.
Reddy questioned the rationale behind the MEA's decision, noting that his travel details were shared with the ministry. "Why did they deny me the US trip and not the UK one?" he asked, referring to his recent three-day visit to the UK.
He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of disregarding the federal structure. Referring to Modi's 2015 visit to Lahore, Reddy asked, "Modi went to Pakistan. Whom did he take permission from?"
The Chief Minister said the Congress party would raise the issue in Parliament.