Hyderabad, 24 August: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the denial of political clearance for his proposed visit to the United States, alleging that the decision reflected political discrimination against Telangana and was contrary to the spirit of cooperative federalism.
Addressing a press conference at the Telangana Secretariat after returning from his UK visit, Reddy questioned why the Centre could permit the Chief Minister of Gujarat to travel to the US for investment promotion while denying him permission for a similar visit aimed at advancing Telangana’s investment, education and sports agenda.
The Telangana Chief Minister said his proposed overseas programme had been designed with clear objectives — attracting investments, strengthening the education ecosystem, promoting sports and advancing the state’s Telangana Rising 2047 vision. He maintained that all details of the proposed US visit had been submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The controversy erupted after the Centre cleared Reddy’s UK leg but denied political clearance for his proposed US visit. The Ministry of External Affairs subsequently said the programme submitted for the US visit was not considered appropriate to the office of the Chief Minister and the stated purpose of the visit.
Reddy, however, rejected that explanation and demanded clarity on what he described as the “political reasons” behind the decision. He argued that if the nature of his proposed foreign engagements was genuinely the concern, there was no reason for the UK leg of the tour to have received clearance.
‘Why Gujarat, Why Not Telangana?’
A major thrust of Reddy’s attack was the comparison with Gujarat. He pointed out that Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had been allowed to undertake a US visit for investment promotion under the Vibrant Gujarat initiative, while Telangana’s Chief Minister was stopped from undertaking a US visit under the Telangana Rising 2047 programme.
The comparison, he said, raised serious questions about equal treatment of states in India’s federal structure.
Reddy argued that political differences between the Congress and the BJP were a separate matter, but the relationship between the Union government and elected state governments should remain constructive. According to him, decisions that restrict a state government’s efforts to attract investments could ultimately hurt the people and economic interests of the state.
In a particularly pointed political reference, Reddy questioned the logic of restricting his US visit while recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise 2015 visit to Pakistan to meet then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The “biryani” reference has long been used in Indian political rhetoric to describe that visit. Reddy’s broader argument was that if India’s Prime Minister could undertake an unexpected diplomatic stop in Pakistan when national interests demanded engagement, an elected Chief Minister should not be prevented from travelling to the US when the stated objective was to seek investment and opportunities for his state.
‘This Is Not About Revanth Reddy Alone’
Reddy repeatedly framed the controversy as an issue involving Telangana rather than a personal setback. He said the denial was an insult to the four crore people of the state and alleged that Telangana was being treated differently by the Centre.
He also accused BJP leaders of making personal and political allegations against him after the US trip was denied, while asserting that he did not want to turn the issue into a partisan political confrontation. Instead, he described it as a matter concerning relations between two levels of government.
The Chief Minister said the issue would be raised by Telangana MPs in Parliament. He also maintained that the state government would continue putting pressure on the Centre on matters concerning Telangana’s development.
Investment Push Continues Despite US Setback
Reddy stressed that the cancellation of his US visit would not derail Telangana’s larger development agenda. The state’s official delegation was instructed to continue planned engagements in the US, including discussions with leading educational institutions and efforts to advance proposed collaborations. The planned programme had included engagements involving institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern University and Virginia Tech.
He also announced that the Telangana Global Summit 2026, under the Invest Telangana initiative, would be held on December 8 and 9, with the state seeking investments particularly in education and sports.
The Chief Minister said the objective of his international outreach was to bring global educational institutions, investment and sporting opportunities to Telangana — particularly for sections of society that may not otherwise have access to overseas opportunities.
Reddy concluded with a defiant message: the Centre may have the authority to stop an overseas journey, he said, but it cannot stop Telangana from pursuing its development goals.
The dispute has now moved beyond the question of one foreign trip and into a larger political debate over cooperative federalism, equal treatment of states and the role of Chief Ministers in promoting investment abroad.
While the Centre maintains that the US programme did not meet the criteria for political clearance, Reddy’s counterargument is that the differing treatment of Telangana and Gujarat demands a public explanation.
The political confrontation is therefore likely to continue, with the Telangana government signalling that it intends to take the matter to Parliament and keep the issue of what it calls discrimination against the state firmly in the public domain.