New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s ongoing trip to the UK and US has been cut short after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied political clearance for the US leg saying the proposed programme was “not appropriate” to his office.
Political clearance was denied after the meetings submitted by Revanth’s office to the ministry were considered as not appropriate for a chief minister to hold. Apart from businesses, Reddy had also indicated he may meet elected officials in the US.
The MEA’s decision came after the CM had already reached London. Instead of proceeding to Boston and New York, Revanth is now set to return to Hyderabad on 23 August. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has slammed the move as “partisan” rather than a matter of administrative protocol.
Those in public office, including chief ministers, state ministers and MPs, require what is called political clearance from the MEA before they travel abroad for official purposes. In case of chief ministers, the chief minister’s office (CMO) must submit the proposed reason for the trip along with the schedule of meetings they wish to undertake.
“The visit of chief ministers, as in deed, other dignitaries is assessed by the ministry in order 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, that was not so in respect of the US. Therefore, clearance has not been given. Incidentally his visit to the UK has been cleared,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular press briefing Friday.
The Congress called the denial “petty politics”, saying “the Modi government cannot tolerate India’s youth moving forward”.
What the Modi government cannot tolerate is India’s youth moving forward.
Every move of this government seems designed to hold back young India, even if it means putting petty politics above the nation’s future.
The latest example: the Modi government has denied political…
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 21, 2026
The Telangana CMO stated that the primary objective of Revanth’s ‘Telangana Rising’ initiative in the US was to collaborate with US-based Ivy League institutions. The CM said the trip intended to bring premier universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Virginia Tech in alignment with the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP).
Telangana ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Mohammed Azharuddin criticised the move on X.
It is shocking that Hon’ble CM Shri Revanth Reddy Garu has been denied political clearance by the Union Government to visit United States.
Denying political clearance is denying Telangana’s growth.
The CM was not travelling for politics. He was travelling for Telangana.
For…
— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) August 21, 2026
BJP blocks CM Revanth Reddy Garu’s US visit to hinder Telangana’s growth
The @BJP4India has stooped to such cheap politics that it is now willing to obstruct Telangana’s development simply to target the Congress Government led by our CM, Shri Revanth Reddy @revanth_anumula Garu.…
— Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy (@INC_Ponguleti) August 21, 2026
Condemning what it viewed as a direct hurdle to Telangana’s development, the state leadership asserted that nation-building and the educational aspirations of the youth should always be above narrow political considerations.
In a strategic workaround, Revanth has ordered his official delegation to proceed to the US without him. State officials have been explicitly instructed to execute all planned meetings, finalise academic partnerships, and sign the proposed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) as originally scheduled.
Not the first CM
The Telangana CM flew out on 20 August, and was scheduled to return on 30 August.
Earlier Friday, Reddy had said that the building of the nation and welfare of the youth should be kept outside of “political considerations”.
“I have always believed we should all think beyond politics and elections when it comes to nation-building and the future of the youth,” media reports quoted him as saying.
In the UK, Reddy is set to interact with universities including Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics.
He is not the first opposition chief minister to have been denied political clearance for a foreign visit. In January, Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the Centre had denied political clearance to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and state Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora for a visit to the UK and Israel in February to attract investments.
In 2018, then Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had slammed the Union government for not giving political clearance for state ministers to travel abroad to raise funds among the Malayalee community abroad to help rebuild the state following a deadly flood.
With inputs from Deepika Amirapu.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)