Will speak on all issues soon: Reddy on US trip row; MEA’s malafide intentions, says Telangana Congress chief
Expected to reach Hyderabad early on Monday, Reddy said he was denied permission for the US tour due to “political reasons”. He thanked Congress president Kharge for his support on the issue
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Sunday that he would “speak about all issues” regarding his cancelled trip to the US, once he returns to India.
The CM, who finished his UK leg of the trip on Sunday, wrote in a post on X that “instead of going to Boston as planned”, he will now return to Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said the MEA nod was denied to Reddy because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre was worried about Telangana getting direct access to universities in the US. “They were worried that the CM was slated to directly meet US Vice President JD Vance. Hence, with malafide intentions, the MEA cancelled the CM’s US trip,” the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief told The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, thanking the All India Congress Committee, Reddy wrote in his X post: “My deepest gratitude for the strong support from our leader and Congress party national president, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji, on the issue of Centre denying me permission to travel to the USA.”
He said, “I am very thankful to my party, all the leaders and people across the country who supported (me) in this issue in national interest. I have concluded all my meetings and scheduled events in London and I am grateful for the overwhelming support that I have received in past three days.”
He said, “In a few hours, I will be taking a flight back home to Hyderabad instead of proceeding to Boston as per original schedule, after the MEA (Central Govt) denied permission for my USA tour for ‘political reasons’”.
He said, “I will speak about all the related issues once I return to Hyderabad.”
My deepest gratitude for the strong support from our leader and Congress party national president, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji @kharge on the issue of Centre denying me permission to travel to the USA.
I am very thankful to my party, all the leaders and people across the country…
When contacted, Reddy’s team in the CM’s office refused to comment on the US trip. “The CM himself will explain what happened,” an official in the CMO said.
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Reddy is expected to reach Hyderabad early on Monday morning, his team said.
The Mamdani factor
The Indian Express had earlier reported that Reddy’s visit to the US included possible meetings with Vice President Vance and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on August 26.
The Chief Minister’s Office, when contacted, said the meeting with the NYC Mayor was “tentative”. “There are a lot of events which are added to the schedule. No official communication was exchanged between the Mayor of New York and the CM’s office,” the CMO said.
Government sources in New Delhi confirmed to The Indian Express that the Chief Minister was planning to meet Vance and Mamdani during his visit. Explaining the reasons for the Indian government denying clearance to Reddy’s US visit, sources said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) — while issuing political clearance — looked at two basic aspects: the “level” of meetings and the “purpose”. The application for political clearance cited “Rising Telangana” – an investment promotion programme by the state government led by Reddy, according to sources. This was the ostensible reason for his visit to the US.
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On Saturday, Reddy’s possible meeting with the NYC Mayor snowballed into a row in Telangana with Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), the primary opposition, asking if the Centre denied permission to Reddy because he might have met Mamdani. “The Centre and state government must explain the cancellation of the CM’s US visit,” BRS MLC Dr Dasoju Sravan said.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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