Kharge slams Centre for denying travel clearance to Telangana CM, alleges 'selective permission'
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Saturday condemned the BJP-led Union government for denying political clearance to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for a proposed visit to the United States. Addressing reporters in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, Mr. Kharge accused the Centre of selectively granting permission for foreign visits and said such restrictions could impede States' efforts to attract investment and promote economic development.
Mr. Reddy had sought clearance for a trip to the U.S. to interact with the Indian diaspora, particularly NRIs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and invite them to invest in Telangana. Terming the denial of permission "deeply unfair" and "fundamentally wrong", Mr. Kharge said Chief Ministers from many States routinely travel abroad to encourage NRI investments in their respective regions.
"There are a large number of NRIs in the U.S. and the U.K. They are keen to invest in India and seek some concessions, such as reduced taxes. Chief Ministers from many States often visit these countries and invite potential NRI investors to invest in their native States in India. Denying permission for such visits is an injustice and I condemn it," Mr. Kharge said.
The Congress leader argued that investments coming into a State benefit not only the State concerned but also the country as a whole by creating employment opportunities for the youth. He alleged that the Union government was deliberately attempting to prevent States from directly reaching out to potential investors abroad, ensuring that major investment initiatives were routed through the Centre.
Mr. Kharge also responded to recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had said policies should be formulated based on the needs of the country and its people rather than forcing the country to adapt to policies. Mr. Kharge said this was precisely the approach followed by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
"During Nehru's tenure, policies were tailored to the nation's immediate requirements through the Five-Year Plans. Heavy industries and public sector undertakings were established to build a self-reliant economy. Premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) were created to address the acute shortage of technical and managerial expertise," Mr. Kharge said.
He added that the approach being emphasised by Mr. Modi had already been adopted by Mr. Nehru decades ago through institution-building and planned economic development.
The denial of political clearance to a sitting Chief Minister raises questions about the scope of states in shaping their own economic and diplomatic outreach. While the Union government has not yet issued an immediate response to Mr. Kharge's allegations, the incident is expected to fuel further debate on centre-state relations, particularly in the context of foreign investment and federal autonomy.
Political clearance is a standard requirement for foreign travel by Indian politicians and government officials, but the selective application of such clearances has often been a point of contention between opposition-ruled states and the central government. The Telangana government has not officially commented on the matter, but Mr. Reddy's planned visit was seen as a crucial step to attract NRI investment to the state.
