‘Insult to 4 crore Telangana people’: Revanth Reddy slams Centre over US visit denial

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government over the denial of permission for his proposed US visit, calling the decision “dictatorial” and an insult to the four crore people of Telangana.

Addressing a press conference after returning from his UK visit, Reddy alleged that the Centre was discriminating against Telangana and said the Congress would raise the issue in Parliament.

Reddy alleges ‘Gujarat domination’ over US visit clearance

Reddy said the denial of permission was not a matter concerning him personally but the people of Telangana.

"Refusal of permission to the Telangana Chief Minister to visit the US is not about Revanth Reddy as an individual. The refusal is an insult to 4 crore Telangana people. The rejection is Gujarat's domination. The Prime Minister is still behaving like a Gujarati and not as India's Prime Minister with knowledge. This is highly objectionable," he said.

Reddy claimed that the Centre had permitted Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to visit the US to attract investments while denying permission for his trip.

Calling the decision deliberate, he alleged that the Centre and the BJP did not want other states to grow beyond a certain point.

"They (Centre) said clearance from a political angle is declined. What is political? The reason is that Narendra Modi and Bhupendra Patel belong to Gujarat. He has permitted the Gujarat CM to visit the US," he said.

"Narendra Modi thinks that he is an ambassador for Gujarat. He does not want any other parts of the country to grow. He said 'sab ka sath, sab ka vikas'. Where is the 'vikas' (development)? Why have you refused me permission to travel to the US? The reason is simple. They don't want any state to grow beyond a point," Reddy alleged.

He further accused the NDA government of discouraging investment in Telangana and alleged that BJP leaders had made derogatory remarks against the state and its chief minister.

Congress to raise issue in Parliament

Reddy said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the Leaders of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, would raise the matter in Parliament.

He said the denial of permission had also affected the cordial relationship between the Centre and the Telangana government.

Revanth on proposed Mamdani, Vance meetings

Responding to questions about reports that he was scheduled to meet New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and US Vice President JD Vance, Reddy said no such meetings had been officially finalised.

"Mamdani is also an elected Mayor of New York. He is not an anti-social element," he said.

Reddy said any engagement with Mamdani or Vance would have taken place only after being officially finalised by the Ministry of External Affairs.

He added that the Indian embassy coordinates the chief minister's engagements during foreign visits and that sufficient information about his proposed programme had been shared with the MEA.

US leg cancelled after UK visit

Reddy returned to Hyderabad on Monday after a three-day visit to the UK. He had left India on August 20 and had planned to travel onwards to the US.

However, after the Centre denied political clearance for the US leg of his trip, Reddy decided to cut short his foreign tour and return from London.

The MEA spokesperson had said last week that political clearance was denied because the proposed programme for the visit was not "appropriate".

Reddy criticised the spokesperson and suggested that he should join the BJP. He also targeted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over the decision.
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Reddy questions Modi’s Pakistan visit

Reddy also questioned the Centre's decision to prevent his proposed US visit by referring to Prime Minister Modi's visit to Pakistan in 2015.

"Modi went to Pakistan. Whom did he hug? Is Pakistan our friend? You can go to Pakistan. You can hug the Pakistan PM? Modi ji can eat biriyani and come back. Can the Telangana CM not meet anyone? How come you are dictating terms?" he said.
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Defends UK meeting amid BJP criticism

Reddy also responded to BJP criticism over his meeting with a professor during his UK visit, after reports that the academic had previously written articles critical of India.

He said the professor had written that "democracy is declining in India" and said he agreed with that assessment.

Reddy said he also believed that democracy had weakened in the country since the Modi government came to power in 2014.

(With PTI inputs)