Centre denies Telangana CM Revanth Reddy permission for US visit

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been denied permission by the Centre to visit the United States as the itinerary did not meet the prescribed norms, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Friday, August 21. Reddy, who is currently in London, had planned to travel to the US and return to Hyderabad on August 30.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such visits are assessed based on the office held and the purpose of the trip, adding that Reddy’s proposed US programme was not considered appropriate.

According to the CMO, the official TelanganaRising delegation led by Reddy has been forced to cancel its US visit after the Ministry of External Affairs denied political clearance. The state government had sought permission for the UK and US visits as per policy and protocol, but only the UK leg was approved.

The Centre conveyed its decision after the official delegation had already reached the UK. Reddy will now return from London to Hyderabad on August 23 instead of travelling to Boston.

The CMO said Reddy was shocked by what it described as the “political denial” of a visit aimed at advancing the TelanganaRising vision, strengthening education opportunities and contributing to the Viksit Bharat initiative. However, the chief minister decided to comply with the Centre’s decision and return to India.

Reddy said the primary objective of the US visit was to bring some of the world’s leading educational institutions to India, Telangana and Hyderabad under the broader goals of the National Education Policy. He said such partnerships could help meet the aspirations of young people seeking education, skills and training from leading global institutions.

The chief minister said he believed nation-building and the future of the youth should be viewed beyond politics and elections. He has instructed officials to proceed with the planned US engagement and conclude all proposed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and partnership agreements.

Reddy will continue with his scheduled UK programme, including visits and interactions with Oxford University, Cambridge University, the London School of Economics, London Business School and other institutions.

The chief minister also reiterated his goal of transforming Hyderabad into a global knowledge hub. He pointed to institutions such as Osmania University, Hyderabad Central University and other universities as contributors to the city’s strong pool of human resources.

Reddy cited Hyderabad Public School (HPS) as an example of the city’s educational potential, noting that its alumni include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and World Bank President Ajay Banga.

He also highlighted the role of IIT, ISB, IIIT and NALSAR University of Law in helping Hyderabad attract major corporations and their Global Capability Centres (GCCs). Reddy said the Telangana government wants to bring leading global education and skills institutions to Hyderabad and make the city one of the world’s top destinations for education.

He said his vision is for ordinary Indians to have access to degrees and certificates from institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, London Business School and the London School of Economics without having to leave India.

The chief minister is also scheduled to meet leading sports institutions and skilling organisations in the UK and explore formal partnerships with Telangana.

Reddy left New Delhi for London on August 20 for a 10-day tour covering the UK and the US. Congress MP Mallu Ravi and the state government’s advisor on protocol affairs, Harkara Venugopal, saw him off at the New Delhi airport in the early hours of August 20.

Before beginning the tour, Reddy was in Delhi to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting on August 19.

As part of his UK schedule, Reddy was scheduled to visit the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University on August 21 and attend an EPL football presentation at Emirates Stadium.

On August 22, he is scheduled to interact with a Cambridge team and visit Senate House at the University of London and the London Business School.

The cancelled US itinerary had included visits to Harvard University and MIT campuses on August 24, followed by a visit to the North-Eastern campus and a meeting with a Virginia Tech University team in Boston on August 25.

Reddy was also scheduled to attend a ‘Meet and Greet’ event organised by the Indian Overseas Congress (USA) in New York on August 26 before returning to Hyderabad on August 30.

(with inputs from PTI)