Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s proposed visit to the United States has been cancelled after the Ministry of External Affairs denied political clearance for the official trip, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.
The development has forced the TelanganaRising delegation to drop the US leg of its planned overseas tour, while Revanth Reddy continues his scheduled engagements in the United Kingdom before returning to Hyderabad.
The state government had sought permission from the Centre for the Chief Minister’s visits to both the United Kingdom and the United States. While clearance was granted for the UK visit, the proposed US trip did not receive political clearance.
Revanth Reddy had earlier planned a 10-day visit covering the UK and the US, with the tour focused on attracting leading global educational and skills institutions to Telangana. The Chief Minister’s Office said the state delegation was informed about the decision regarding the US visit after reaching the United Kingdom.
According to the state government, the Chief Minister has decided to comply with the decision and return to Hyderabad from London instead of travelling onward to Boston.
“The only purpose of the visit was to, as part of the New Education Policy of the Centre, bring the world’s best institutions to India, to Telangana, to Hyderabad,” Revanth Reddy said, according to the official statement.
Despite the cancellation of the Chief Minister’s US visit, officials have been instructed to continue with planned discussions and pursue proposed memorandums of understanding and partnership agreements connected to the TelanganaRising initiative.
During the UK leg of the tour, Revanth Reddy is scheduled to hold interactions with institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, London Business School and the University of London. The Telangana government has said the discussions are aimed at strengthening educational, skilling and institutional partnerships.
The Chief Minister has also reiterated his government’s goal of developing Hyderabad as a major global education and knowledge hub by bringing leading international institutions and training opportunities closer to students in Telangana.
Reacting to the issue, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao said there was no political angle to the denial and that such decisions are taken under established rules and procedures.
The Ministry of External Affairs has stated that political clearance for the proposed US visit was not granted due to non-conformity with the prescribed norms, while the UK visit had been approved.
