AA Edit | Why Stop Revanth Visit To US?

The denial of routine official clearance by the Union ministry of external affairs for chief minister A. Revanth Reddy’s seven-day official visit to the United States does not augur well for the country’s federal set-up. Though it may sound unusual, Mr Revanth Reddy’s objective in the proposed visit was to meet the top brass of reputed educational institutions and persuade them to establish offshore campuses in Telangana in place of the routine invest-in-Telangana pitch.

The clearance was denied after the chief minister-led official delegation had already reached the United Kingdom for the first leg of the two-nation tour. The MEA stated that political clearance is assessed based on whether the visit is appropriate to the office held and the purpose of the trip, adding that “it was not so in respect of (CM’s) US visit”. This leaves one puzzled as to how clearance was granted for his UK tour, which was being undertaken for a similar purpose.

The Narendra Modi government has often been criticised for targeting Opposition leaders by unleashing agencies like the CBI and ED against them. It has also shown discrimination in granting foreign tour clearances to CMs from non-NDA parties. Earlier, clearances were denied twice for Arvind Kejriwal and once each for Mamata Banerjee and Bhupesh Baghel.

Politically, Revanth Reddy has little to lose and much to gain. The denial elevates him as a key target of the BJP and erases criticism of his alleged hobnobbing with Mr Modi. He can also counter the BRS, which has celebrated the denial as an embarrassment, by questioning whether only the kin of BRS leadership should enjoy the privilege of studying abroad.

Had politics not interfered, and Mr Revanth Reddy succeeded in bringing offshore campuses to India, thousands of Gen Z students could have pursued higher education closer to home at a fraction of the cost of studying abroad — especially at a time when US immigration policies are increasingly turning hostile toward Indian students.