Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy Monday attacked the BJP and its-led NDA government at the Centre over denial of permission to him to visit the US, alleging that it was an insult to the four crore people of the state.
On reports that he sought to meet Zohrab Mamdani in the US, besides US Vice President JD Vance, Reddy said the New York Mayor was not an “anti-social element” but an elected representative.
Addressing a press conference hours after returning to Hyderabad from his UK visit, he claimed that the Centre was showing discrimination towards Telangana and said the issue will be raised in the Parliament by the Congress party.
The Centre permitted Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel to visit the US to invite investments into his state, but denied him permission, Reddy said.
BJP “doesn’t want any state to grow beyond a point”, he alleged.
Reddy said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi would raise the issue of denying him permission to visit US in parliament.
Reddy returned to Hyderabad on Monday following a three-day visit to the UK. He had initially departed for the UK on August 20 with onward travel plans to the US.
However, the Centre denied permission for the US leg of his tour, following which Reddy decided to cut short his trip and return home from London.
CM Reddy was denied political clearance for his planned trip to the US because the proposed programme for the visit was not “appropriate”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
Further, responding to reports that he sought to meet Mamdani and US V-P Vance, Reddy said the former was not an anti-social element.
“Mamdani is also elected Mayor for New York. He is not an anti-social element,” he said.
He said no engagement of the chief minister either with Mayor or US Vice President happens without it being officially being finalised.
The Indian embassy is very involved in the chief minister’s engagements, he said.
