A proposed US visit by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been called off after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied political clearance, saying the programme did not conform to the norms laid down for such visits.

Reddy, who is currently in London, was scheduled to travel to the US after completing his UK engagements as part of an overseas tour.

However, the MEA's decision means the Telangana Rising delegation led by the Chief Minister will not proceed with the US leg of the trip. Reddy is now expected to return to Hyderabad on August 30, according to his office.

The Chief Minister's Office confirmed the cancellation, saying the delegation had been 'forced to cancel' the US visit after the Centre denied clearance from a political perspective.

The MEA later explained the decision, making it clear that the denial was linked to the nature and purpose of the proposed programme.

'The visit of Chief Ministers, as indeed, other dignitaries is assessed by the Ministry of External Affairs to accord political clearance,' MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

He added that programmes proposed by Chief Ministers during overseas visits must be appropriate to the office they hold and the purpose of the visit.

'In this particular case, that was not so in respect of the US,' Jaiswal said during his bi-weekly media briefing.

'Therefore, clearance has not been given. Incidentally, his visit to the UK has been cleared,' he added.

The Telangana government had sought the Centre's approval for both legs of Reddy's overseas tour in accordance with existing policy and protocol.

While the UK visit received clearance, permission for the US leg was denied.

Reddy had planned to use the US visit to explore opportunities for bringing leading American educational institutions to Telangana. According to his office, the chief minister viewed collaborations with top global universities as a way to expand access to education, skills and training for young people in the state.

'They would have been an answer to our youth's aspirations to get education, skills, and training from the best Ivy Leagues and top global institutions,' Reddy said.

He also framed the proposed visit as an effort that should rise above political considerations, saying, 'I have always believed we should all think beyond politics and elections when it comes to nation building and future of the youth.'

The episode is not without precedent. The MEA has previously denied political clearance to chief ministers seeking to travel abroad while in office, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

For Reddy, however, the immediate consequence is a curtailed overseas itinerary, with the US leg of the Telangana Rising delegation now cancelled and the chief minister set to return to Hyderabad on August 30.