Centre Clarifies Why Revanth Reddy’s US Visit Was Denied Political Clearance

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s proposed visit to the United States was denied political clearance because the itinerary submitted for the trip was considered unsuitable for his position and the stated purpose of the visit.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed questions on Friday over the Centre’s decision to withhold clearance for the Chief Minister’s proposed US tour. He said the ministry conducts a detailed assessment before granting political clearance for overseas visits by chief ministers and other delegations.

According to Jaiswal, programmes proposed during such visits are expected to be appropriate to the office held by the official as well as the objectives of the trip. In this case, the proposed US itinerary did not meet those requirements, leading the ministry to withhold approval.

Jaiswal, however, clarified that the MEA had already granted political clearance for Revanth Reddy’s proposed UK visit, distinguishing it from the US trip.

The clarification came after the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office said that the ‘Telangana Rising’ delegation’s US visit had to be cancelled because the Centre had denied political clearance on political grounds. The delegation was scheduled to undertake engagements in the United States as part of the state government’s broader efforts to promote Telangana and attract investment.

The MEA’s explanation provides the Centre’s stated reason for rejecting the US travel proposal, while the Telangana government has maintained that the denial affected its planned international outreach programme. The issue has consequently triggered a political exchange between the state government and the Centre over the approval process for official foreign visits.