Telangana CM's US Trip Row: BJP Says Denial Due to Procedures, Not Politics

The Telangana BJP president, N. Ramchander Rao, on Friday said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) likely denied clearance for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's proposed visit to the United States due to procedural requirements and regulatory norms, not for political reasons. He was responding to allegations that the Centre had blocked the visit on political grounds.

Addressing the media at the State party office, Mr. Rao explained that the MEA follows a comprehensive evaluation before approving foreign visits by Chief Ministers and Ministers. This process includes assessing the official necessity of the visit, the credentials of host organisations, the profile of participants, diplomatic protocols, security considerations, compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), and broader international implications.

Mr. Rao pointed out that the Centre had not obstructed Mr. Revanth Reddy's earlier overseas trips. He also noted that permissions had reportedly been granted to officials accompanying the Chief Minister for meetings related to investments and agreements, indicating that the Centre was not opposed to official engagements abroad.

He recalled that during the Congress-led UPA regime, foreign visits proposed by then Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and then Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda were not approved. He also referred to the period when Narendra Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, was denied a US visa.

Meanwhile, BJP MP from Nizamabad, D. Aravind, questioned why only the Chief Minister was denied permission for the US visit. He suggested that the issue could involve matters relating to national security, though he clarified that the Centre is yet to give official reasons for the move.

The MP also raised questions about the nature and sponsorship of the proposed visit, speculating whether organisations linked to the programme had prompted concerns among authorities, possibly involving what he called 'anti-national forces' or American philanthropist and investor George Soros.

'How can a Chief Minister plan a foreign visit without obtaining the necessary statutory clearances?' he asked. Maintaining that the BJP was not attempting to politicise the issue, Mr. Aravind questioned if the CM had gone to the UK to attend the marriage of Majlis Party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's daughter.

As of now, the MEA has not officially commented on the specific reasons for denying clearance. The Telangana government and the Chief Minister's office have also not issued a formal response to the BJP's statements. The development comes amid ongoing political friction between the Congress-led state government and the BJP-led central government.