Reddy denied US visit, Gujarat CM cleared: Overseas Congress alleges ‘double standard’

The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), the Congress' foreign wing, has criticized the government for its perceived "double standards" in allowing Gujarat Chief Minister to visit the US while denying permission to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his US visit. The IOC stated that the primary objective of Reddy's US visit was to advance Telangana's ambition to become a global centre for education, innovation, skills, and research through partnerships with leading universities.

The denial of clearance to Reddy while Bhupendra Patel, the BJP-led Gujarat Chief Minister, is allowed to visit the US, the IOC believes, is troubling and amounts to a double standard. The Indian government's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) cited the programme's relevance to the office and the purpose of the visit as reasons for not granting clearance for Reddy's trip.

Reddy had stated that his visit to the US was to bring world-class educational institutions to India as part of the Centre's New Education Policy. Despite the MEA's decision, the IOC noted that the state government delegation will continue with the planned engagements, including the pursuit of MoUs and partnership initiatives with leading institutions like Harvard University and MIT.

The IOC strongly condemns any use of political mechanisms to hinder initiatives aimed at promoting education, investment, innovation, and economic development, emphasizing that political rivalry should cease where the interests of India's youth and the development of its states begin.