Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has returned to Hyderabad after completing the UK leg of his foreign tour, amidst political controversy over the central government's refusal to grant clearance for his scheduled U.S. visit.
HYDERABAD — Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has returned to Hyderabad following the conclusion of his visit to the United Kingdom, cutting short a broader international tour after India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to grant political clearance for his scheduled travel to the United States.
The Chief Minister arrived in the state capital after completing the British leg of his tour, where he led a delegation aimed at securing educational and skill-building partnerships for the state. While Reddy returned to India, a high-level official delegation from the Telangana state government continued onward to the United States to fulfill scheduled institutional engagements.
Educational Engagements in the United Kingdom
Reddy's foreign tour began on August 20, leading the "Telangana Rising" delegation on an initiative focused on bolstering the state’s higher education sector. During his stay in London, the Chief Minister held talks with representatives from major academic institutions, including Oxford University, Cambridge University, the London School of Economics (LSE), and the London Business School.
The discussions centered on potential collaboration models, institutional partnerships, and skill-development frameworks designed to align local educational standards with global requirements. The state government aimed to leverage these academic ties to enhance training programs for youth in Telangana.
Official Delegation Continues to the United States
Despite the cancellation of the Chief Minister's U.S. itinerary, the official administrative delegation—led by Telangana Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and Finance Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao—proceeded to North America as directed by Reddy.
The state officials are scheduled to carry out planned meetings with representatives from prominent American academic institutions, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). These sessions aim to finalize preliminary framework agreements and formalize institutional tie-ups originally planned as part of the broader state delegation's mission.
MEA Clarification and Political Reaction
The refusal of political clearance for the Chief Minister's U.S. trip has emerged as a point of contention between the ruling Congress party in Telangana and the central government.
Addressing the decision, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that official foreign visits by chief ministers and high-ranking dignitaries are evaluated to ensure the proposed itinerary aligns with the protocol and nature of their official status. The ministry indicated that the proposed U.S. schedule did not meet the necessary criteria for approval in its submitted form, whereas the U.K. segment received clearance.
Reddy expressed disappointment over the development, emphasizing that matters involving state development and educational advancement for youth should remain distinct from partisan considerations. He extended appreciation to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge for supporting his stance during the process.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected claims of political bias, asserting that clearance decisions by the Ministry of External Affairs follow standard administrative protocols and evaluations based on submitted itineraries.
Return to Hyderabad
Upon landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, Chief Minister Reddy proceeded to his residence in Jubilee Hills. Prior to his departure from London, Reddy noted that he would address the media in detail regarding both the outcome of his UK discussions and the circumstances surrounding the U.S. clearance decision after his arrival in the state capital.
0 Comments