Denying US visit nod an insult to Telangana: Revanth Reddy
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, August 24, attacked the BJP and the NDA government at the Centre over the denial of permission for his planned visit to the US, alleging that it amounted to an insult to the state's four crore people.
Addressing a press conference hours after returning to Hyderabad from his UK visit, Reddy claimed the Centre was discriminating against Telangana and said the Congress party would raise the issue in Parliament.
Responding to reports that he had sought to meet New York Mayor Zohrab Mamdani in the US, Reddy said Mamdani was not an "anti-social element" but an elected representative.
Reddy pointed out that the Centre had permitted Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to visit the US to invite investments into his state, while denying him similar permission. The BJP "doesn't want any state to grow beyond a point," he alleged.
He said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi would raise the issue of the denied US visit in Parliament.
Reddy returned to Hyderabad on Monday, August 24, following a three-day visit to the UK. He had departed for the UK on August 20 with onward travel plans to the US. However, the Centre denied permission for the US leg of his tour, following which Reddy decided to cut short his trip and return home from London.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said on Friday, August 21, that Reddy was denied political clearance for his planned US trip because the proposed programme for the visit was not "appropriate."
Responding further to reports that he had also sought to meet US Vice President JD Vance, Reddy reiterated that Mamdani was an elected mayor and not an anti-social element. "Mamdani also elected Mayor for New York. He is not an anti-social element," he said.
He added that no engagement between the chief minister and either the mayor or the US vice president takes place without official finalisation, and that the Indian embassy remains closely involved in coordinating the chief minister's engagements.
(Inputs from PTI)
