Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 21 (ANI): Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Friday said that there was no conspiracy by the Centre after the Ministry of External Affairs did not grant clearance for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's visit to the United States.
Revanth Reddy was denied permission by the Centre to visit the US, with Congress alleging party politics by the BJP. However, the MEA had clarified that his visit was not considered appropriate "to the office held and the purpose of the visit", and therefore political clearance was not granted.
The BJP leader said that it was a procedural cancellation, as per the guidelines of the MEA and without any political vendetta.
Rao told ANI, "There is no conspiracy in the cancellation of the visit of Revanth Reddy to the USA. The other delegates were allowed to attend the US visit, and they are also allowed to enter into any agreement with the investors. There are certain considerations and certain guidelines by the Government of India, as laid down by the Minister of External Affairs."
"It is only a procedural cancellation, and there is no political vendetta. I don't think that it is proper on the part of the Congress party to make it, to politicise the issue," he added.
BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri, however, alleged that the CM's schedule included meetings with "anti-nationals".
Dharmapuri said, "His entire delegation, which is travelling with him, is moving ahead with whatever they are supposed to sign. Nobody has stopped that. But the Chief Minister going to Blaventick School, funded by George Soros, institutions which are funded by George Soros, having meetings there, is something which we need to worry."
"I don't know the reasons why the clearance has not come. But definitely, in his meetings, as per his official program issued by the Chief Minister's office, he was meeting anti-national and anti-India supporting institutions. These institutions were funding chaos against the abrogation of Article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)," the BJP MP said.
Earlier, Congress alleged in an X post, "...Instead of supporting an initiative that could make India proud, the Central Government chose to deny political clearance for the USA leg of the Chief Minister's official visit. Why? Because a successful Telangana is a political advantage for Congress? This is not about one Chief Minister or one political party. It is about our students. Our youth. Our state. Our nation's future. Politics must never come before the aspirations of millions of young Indians."
Meanwhile, responding to a question on Telangana CM being denied political clearance for his proposed US visit, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said visits by Chief Ministers and other dignitaries are assessed by the ministry before political clearance is accorded.
"Let me say that the visits of Chief Ministers, as with other dignitaries, are assessed by the Ministry of External Affairs to accord political clearance. The programme proposed in such cases should be appropriate to the office held and the purpose of the visit. In this particular case regarding the United States, that was not so, and therefore the clearance was not given," Jaiswal said.
According to the CMO, Revanth Reddy will now return to Hyderabad from London on August 23 instead of travelling to Boston. (ANI)
"No conspiracy in cancellation of Revanth Reddy's US visit": Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao
