Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 22 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Manne Krishank on Saturday hit out at Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, calling it a diplomatic embarrassment after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied political clearance for the US visit.
BRS leader Manne Krishank accused the Chief Minister of corruption, citing his previous official visit to the United States where he allegedly signed a ₹1,000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swachh Bio, a newly formed company owned by his brother, Anumula Jagadishwar Reddy, adding that the deal had already attracted ED complaints.
Questioning the integrity of the proposed trip, Krishank asked: "Is this not corruption? Is this not misuse of office? What kind of family business is Revanth Reddy running in the USA? Is this some sort of hawala business? Revanth Reddy has to answer to the people of Telangana."
BRS alleged that signing an official MoU with a newly formed, unproven company linked directly to a family member amounted to nepotism and an abuse of executive office.
In a video statement, BRS spokesperson Krishank alleged that the Centre's denial raises serious questions over the nature of the Chief Minister's engagements in the United States. "The Government of India refusing permission for CM Revanth Reddy's foreign visit to the US and the MEA calling his programs inappropriate raises serious questions among the people of Telangana," Krishank said.
Recalling Revanth Reddy's previous US visit, Krishank alleged that the Chief Minister had signed a Rs 1,000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a company named Swachh Bio, which he claimed was a shell company started just two months before the deal and had no employees.
"It is to be remembered that his previous US visit had even drawn complaints to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He signed a thousand-crore MOU with Swachh Bio, a company started just two months ago with no employees, because it is owned by none other than his own brother Anumula Jagadishwar Reddy," he alleged.
He further demanded that both the Centre and the Chief Minister clarify what was deemed inappropriate in the current visit."Now that Revanth Reddy has not been granted permission this time, the Government of India must answer -- what is inappropriate? What kind of programs? What kind of family businesses is Revanth Reddy running in the USA? Is this some sort of hawala business? Revanth Reddy has to answer to the people of Telangana," Krishank said.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the proposed programme for Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's visit to the United States was not considered appropriate "to the office held and the purpose of the visit", and therefore political clearance was not granted.
Responding to a question on Telangana Chief Minister being denied political clearance for his proposed US visit, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said visits by Chief Ministers and other dignitaries are assessed by the ministry before political clearance is accorded.
"Let me say that the visits of Chief Ministers, as with other dignitaries, are assessed by the Ministry of External Affairs to accord political clearance. The programme proposed in such cases should be appropriate to the office held and the purpose of the visit. In this particular case regarding the United States, that was not so, and therefore the clearance was not given," Jaiswal said.
He, however, clarified that political clearance had been granted for Revanth Reddy's visit to the United Kingdom.
"Incidentally, let me also tell you that clearance was given for his visit to the United Kingdom," the MEA spokesperson said.
Revanth Reddy called the denial politically motivated. He explained that the purpose of the trip was to partner with global universities (such as Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, and Virginia Tech) to advance education and skill-building initiatives in Hyderabad under the New Education Policy.
"The only purpose of the visit was, as part of the New Education Policy of the Centre, to bring the world's best institutions to India, to Telangana, to Hyderabad," the Chief Minister said.
According to the Telangana Chief Minister's Office, the state government had sought central clearance for the Chief Minister's proposed visits to the UK and the US, but permission was granted only for the UK leg.
The CMO said the state government was informed about the denial of permission for the US visit after the official delegation had reached the UK.
The Chief Minister's Office said Revanth Reddy will now return to Hyderabad from London on August 23 instead of travelling to Boston.
Despite the cancellation, he instructed officials to continue pursuing proposed partnerships with leading educational institutions in the US. (ANI)
"Is this some sort of hawala business?": BRS attacks Revanth Reddy after MEA denies clearance for US visit
