Centre had ‘reasons’ to withhold CM’s US travel clearance: BJP
BJP leaders have defended the Centre's decision to deny political clearance for Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's US visit, citing concerns over his planned meetings. The Chief Minister had previously alleged discrimination, but the BJP maintains the denial was based on protocol and security concerns.
Why it matters
The dispute underscores the friction between state and central governments regarding foreign policy and diplomatic protocol.
Senior BJP leaders, including Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao, rejected Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s allegation that the Centre had ‘discriminated’ against Telangana by denying him political clearance to visit the United States.
Speaking on the second day of his hunger strike in support of students’ fee reimbursement at the BJP State office on Tuesday, Mr. Ramchander Rao said that the Centre’s decision was based on information that the Chief Minister was scheduled to meet “certain individuals and organisations in the US who had caused trouble to India and its people.”
Pointing out that the Chief Minister had previously travelled to the US twice, besides visiting London and Singapore, without any objections from the Centre, Mr. Rao said there would have been no reason to deny clearance unless there were “concerns regarding the nature of the meetings planned during the visit”.
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