The Centre has denied political clearance for Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's proposed visit to the United States, prompting him to cut short his international tour and return to Hyderabad on August 23 after completing his scheduled engagements in the United Kingdom. The Telangana government said the Union external affairs ministry denied permission for the US leg of the visit, citing a “political angle”.
The chief minister was originally scheduled to return to Hyderabad on August 30 after visiting the US to meet universities and leading educational institutions and invite them to establish campuses in Hyderabad's Bharat Future City.
Centre denies permission for US visit
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Telangana government had sought the Centre's permission for Revanth Reddy's visits to both the UK and the US in accordance with established policy and protocol.
While the UK visit was cleared, the US leg was denied. The CMO said the Centre communicated its decision after the official Telangana Rising delegation, led by the chief minister, had already reached the UK.
“The official TelanganaRising delegation led by CM Revanth has been forced to cancel their visit to the United States of America (USA) after the Union external affairs ministry has denied permission, saying ‘clearance from political angle is denied’,” the CMO said.
Revanth Reddy subsequently decided to return to India from London instead of travelling onward to Boston.
Revanth says visit aimed at attracting global universities
Reacting to the Centre's decision, Revanth Reddy said the primary objective of the US visit was to attract leading global educational institutions to Telangana.
“The only purpose of the visit was, as part of the New Education Policy of the Centre, to bring the world’s best institutions to India, to Telangana, to Hyderabad,” he said. The chief minister said such institutions could help meet the aspirations of young people seeking access to international education, skills and training.
“I have always believed we should all think beyond politics and elections when it comes to nation building and the future of the youth,” he said.
Revanth Reddy also said he would continue working towards making Hyderabad a global education and knowledge hub.
Officials to continue US engagements
Despite his own visit being cancelled, Revanth Reddy has instructed Telangana officials to proceed with the planned US engagements and finalise proposed MoUs and partnership agreements, the CMO said.
The chief minister said the state's existing educational institutions, including Osmania University, the University of Hyderabad and JNTU, had helped establish Hyderabad as a centre for skilled human resources.
He also pointed to institutions such as IIT Hyderabad, the Indian School of Business, IIIT Hyderabad and NALSAR as contributors to the city's growth as a destination for major corporations and global capability centres.
“My resolve and endeavour to make Hyderabad one of the top global cities, where any common Indian can get education and a certificates from Harvard and Oxford, or an MIT and LBS or LSE, is because while most leaders have wanted to send their children abroad, I want to bring the world’s best to India,” Revanth Reddy said.
UK tour to continue as scheduled
The chief minister will continue with his scheduled engagements in the UK before returning to Hyderabad.
According to the CMO, Revanth Reddy is due to interact with representatives of Oxford University, the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics, London Business School and the University of London.
He will also meet representatives of sports institutions and skilling organisations in the UK with the aim of establishing partnerships with Telangana.
