The Telangana BJP defended the Ministry of External Affairs’ decision to deny political clearance for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s proposed US tour, as reported by media outlets. State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao rejected Congress allegations of political motives, calling it a routine procedural assessment, as highlighted by reports. He noted that the delegation retained permission for investment meetings, emphasizing that foreign clearance rules apply standard diplomatic protocols and international guidelines.
The Telangana BJP state unit rejected allegations made by the ruling Congress party concerning the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) decision to withhold political clearance for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s planned tour to the United States. State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao clarified during a media interaction that the decision was taken strictly in accordance with administrative frameworks, diplomatic protocols, and regulatory guidelines.
Refuting claims of political vendetta, the party leadership highlighted that the Union government had already permitted the Chief Minister’s official delegation to proceed with investment-related discussions and execute agreements with prospective trade partners. Rao stated that foreign visits involving high-ranking state officials are evaluated under standard criteria maintained by the diplomatic ministry. These considerations encompass official necessity, diplomatic protocols, security parameters, the background of inviting institutions, and compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Drawing historical comparisons, the BJP leadership noted that foreign travel requests were similarly withheld for leaders across political lines under previous national administrations. Instances included travel requests for former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda in 2012. The party added that the Centre had routinely facilitated earlier overseas delegations led by Revanth Reddy without procedural hurdles.
The BJP urged Congress leaders to refrain from politicizing routine administrative assessments, reassuring that foreign travel evaluations follow established national security and diplomatic protocols.
