Hyderabad, August 2026 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday strongly criticised the Centre for denying political clearance for his proposed visit to the United States, describing the decision as an “insult” to the people of Telangana and accusing the Narendra Modi government of practising political discrimination against the state.
Addressing a press conference after returning from the United Kingdom, Revanth Reddy said the denial had obstructed Telangana’s efforts to attract investments, forge international partnerships and accelerate development. He termed the Centre’s decision “dictatorial” and said it undermined the principles of federalism.
The Chief Minister was scheduled to travel from the UK to the US on August 23 for a week-long visit. He said the reason for the denial was evident from the communication received from the Ministry of External Affairs, which stated that clearance had been denied “from a political angle”.
“The political angle is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to the BJP and comes from Gujarat, while I belong to the Congress party and I am from Telangana,” Revanth Reddy said.
He said official correspondence from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Ministry of External Affairs had clearly outlined the objectives of his proposed UK and US visits. The delegation was expected to meet representatives of leading global universities and sports academies, interact with investors and strategic partners, and explore opportunities for collaboration in education, sports and other sectors.
Revanth Reddy said his government was working to establish Telangana as a leading global destination for education and sports while attracting fresh investments to the state. The delegation also planned to invite investors and international partners to the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2.0, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in December.
He said the international outreach was part of the broader Telangana Rising-2047 vision, which, according to him, was aligned with the larger national objective of building a developed India.
Questioning the Centre’s decision, Revanth Reddy asked why permission was granted for his UK visit when the objectives of the US visit were similar.
The Chief Minister alleged that political considerations were behind the denial, pointing to the recent visit of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to the US and Canada. He said Patel had been granted permission from August 17 to 24 to undertake investment-related engagements under the Vibrant Gujarat 2047 initiative.
“In Gujarat’s case, permission was granted for an investment-related visit, but I was stopped when I sought to visit the US for Telangana Rising-2047,” he said.
Revanth Reddy alleged that the Centre was reluctant to see Telangana emerge as a major investment destination and claimed that the state’s growing economic potential had become a source of concern for the BJP-led government.
He further accused Prime Minister Modi of promoting Gujarat’s interests while failing to provide a level playing field to other states. “Prime Minister Modi considers himself the ambassador of Gujarat and does not want to see the growth of other states,” he alleged.
The Chief Minister maintained that the denial was not a personal setback. “You can stop me, but you cannot stop my goal for the development of Telangana,” he said, adding that the decision was ultimately an insult to the four crore people of the state.
Revanth Reddy also said the Congress would raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament, asserting that his party would not remain silent over what he described as political discrimination.
Responding to questions about speculation that his proposed meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani may have contributed to the denial, the Chief Minister questioned why such a meeting should be considered objectionable. He pointed out that Mamdani had been elected by the people of New York and asked whether there was any legitimate reason to prevent an elected Indian Chief Minister from meeting him.
Taking a further swipe at the Centre, Revanth Reddy referred to Prime Minister Modi’s past visit to Pakistan and questioned why the Prime Minister could travel to a neighbouring country that has often been viewed as unfriendly to India, while an Indian Chief Minister could face restrictions on travelling to the US for investment promotion.
The Chief Minister also criticised Telangana BJP leaders for making political allegations against him over the controversy. He reminded them that the BJP had eight Lok Sabha MPs from Telangana and urged them to raise issues concerning the state’s interests.
Revanth Reddy said Telangana would continue pursuing international investment, education, sports and development opportunities despite the setback, asserting that efforts to build the state as a global economic and innovation hub would not be derailed by the Centre’s decision.
