Centre blocked my US visit on political grounds, alleges Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

He contrasted the decision with the clearance given to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who, Reddy said, had been travelling in Canada and the US to attract investment to his state.Reddy was scheduled to travel from London to Boston and then visit other US cities, including New York. (File photo: ITG)Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of blocking his proposed visit to the United States on “political grounds” because he heads a Congress government.The Chief Minister said he had applied to the Ministry of External Affairs for political clearance in the prescribed format but received a one-line response rejecting his request.“What does ‘political grounds’ mean? What is the reason behind this political decision?” he asked.CM Reddy alleged that PM Modi did not want him to attract investment to Telangana and was using the clearance process to favour Gujarat. He contrasted the decision with the permission given to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who, according to Reddy, had been travelling across Canada and the US to conduct investment roadshows.“Narendra Modi and Bhupendra Patel belong to Gujarat, and permission has been given to the Gujarat Chief Minister to visit the US,” Reddy said.'CENTRE DISCOURAGING INVESTMENTS IN TELANGANA' The CM accused the Centre of trying to discourage companies and institutions from investing in Telangana.“They are deliberately creating obstacles to investment in Telangana. They want to send a message to the world that anyone who invests in Telangana will face consequences,” he alleged.The Congress leader also cited the Regional Ring Road and Metro Rail projects to accuse the Centre of being reluctant to support Telangana’s development over the past 30 months.“Narendra Modi appears to be thinking of himself as an ambassador for Gujarat. He does not want other parts of the country to grow,” he said.MEA EXPLAINS WHY CLEARANCE WAS DENIEDReddy’s allegations came days after the Ministry of External Affairs said his proposed US programme was not appropriate to the office he holds or the stated purpose of the visit.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that the proposed foreign visits of chief ministers and other dignitaries were assessed before political clearance was 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 US,” Jaiswal said.The ministry had cleared CM Reddy’s visit to the United Kingdom.The Chief Minister maintained that the US visit was intended to attract investors and establish partnerships with leading universities and other institutions.“If they are going to come and invest in my state, within the regulations made by the Government of India, we want to welcome everyone and protect their investment,” he said.CONGRESS ALLEGES DOUBLE STANDARDThe Indian Overseas Congress USA’s Telangana Chapter questioned why CM Reddy had been denied clearance while the Gujarat Chief Minister was allowed to visit the US.George Abraham, vice-chairman of IOC-USA, called it a “troubling and unmistakable double standard.""The IOC USA strongly condemns the use of political or administrative mechanisms to impede legitimate initiatives aimed at promoting education, investment, innovation, and economic development," it said in a statement.The organisation said education, employment and investment initiatives should remain beyond political rivalry.REDDY’S PLANNED US ENGAGEMENTSCM Reddy was scheduled to travel to the US after completing his UK visit on August 23. His programme included a public reception in New York and meetings with investors and universities.The visit was part of preparations for the Telangana Rising 2047 summit, scheduled for December 7, 8 and 9.The state government had planned engagements with Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and Virginia Tech.The talks were expected to focus on academic partnerships, skills, research and innovation.The CM has directed the state government’s delegation to proceed to the US without him and continue the scheduled engagements.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 18:21 IST