MEA denies political clearance for Telangana CM's US visit, cites inappropriate programme

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said it had denied political clearance for Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's proposed visit to the United States, adding that the programme submitted for the trip was not considered appropriate for the office he holds or the purpose of the visit.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that visits by chief ministers and other dignitaries are assessed by the ministry before political clearance is granted. "The programme proposed, in such cases, should be appropriate to the office held and the purpose of the visit. In this particular case, that was not so in respect of the United States, and therefore the clearance was denied," he said.

Jaiswal, however, clarified that the Centre had granted political clearance for Reddy's visit to the United Kingdom. "Incidentally, let me also tell you that clearance was given for his visit to the United Kingdom," he added.

The MEA's clarification came hours after the Telangana Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Reddy's proposed US visit had been cancelled after the Centre denied permission on "political grounds". Reddy is currently in London as part of an official TelanganaRising delegation. He was scheduled to travel to the US after his UK engagements and return to Hyderabad on August 30.

According to the Telangana CMO, Reddy will now return to Hyderabad on August 23 instead of travelling to Boston. "The official TelanganaRising delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been forced to cancel their visit to the United States of America (USA) after the Ministry of External Affairs has denied permission, saying ... clearance from political angle is denied," the CMO said in a release.

The Telangana government had planned the US leg as part of its TelanganaRising outreach, with the CM scheduled to engage with stakeholders during the proposed visit. The denial of clearance for the US portion of the trip, while the UK portion was approved, has drawn attention to the procedures governing foreign visits by state leaders.

Political clearance is a standard requirement for such visits, and the MEA evaluates the purpose and programme of each trip before granting approval. In this instance, the ministry has not elaborated on what specifically made the US programme inappropriate, and the Telangana government has not publicly shared further details of the proposed engagements.

The development underscores the Centre's role in overseeing foreign travel by state chief ministers, a process that is typically routine but can occasionally become contentious. Both the MEA and the Telangana government have confirmed the cancellation of the US leg, and no further statements have been issued beyond those already made.