Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy addresses the Telugu diaspora, in London on Sunday. (@TelanganaCMO X/ANI Photo)Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday termed MEA’s denial of permission for his US visit as an “insult” to the state.At a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday, he said the central government favours Gujarat and not Telangana.“I was denied permission to travel to lead the Telangana Rising delegation even as the Gujarat CM was allowed to travel under the banner of Vibrant Gujarat. This is an insult to the self respect of Telangana. The political reason for which I was denied permission was that the central government favours Gujarat and not Telangana,” he said.Reddy had to cancel his US visit after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied him the permission last week, saying “clearance from political angle is denied”, his office had said.Reddy, who returned to Hyderabad on Monday following a three-day visit to the UK, said, “I want to ask PM Narendra Modi and the Government of India why they denied me permission to travel to the US?”Also Read | Behind denial of nod for Revanth’s US trip, his tentative meetings with Vance, MamdaniReddy said he was travelling to the US with a delegation to attract investments in education, sports, and other areas. “I was travelling to attract MoUs from Harvard University and other US Universities. I wanted to bring in educational specialists from across the world to Telangana,” he added.“The reason behind the denial is that I belong to the Congress and I belong to Telangana,” he said.Story continues below this adHe said the trip would have helped “the downtrodden sections including Dalits, Adivasis and Bahujan students” who would have got the support of educational and sports institutions.“He said this is a denial of self-respect of Telangana. It is the denial aimed at 4 crore people of Telangana. This is about Gujarat dominance. The Gujarat CM was allowed to travel to Canada and the US… This is an insult to Telangana,” the CM said.Targeting the Centre, he said, “They want to send the message that investment for Telangana will be punished. They don’t want to allow any state to grow beyond a point. They only want Gujarat to develop, other BJP-run states to develop. This is discrimination.”Also Read | Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s US trip junked, no ‘political’ clearance from CentreReddy said the Congress would raise the issue in Parliament.Story continues below this adStating that the purpose of his visit, its date and schedule was shared with the MEA, he asked, “Why did they deny me the US trip and not the UK one?”About possible meeting with Mamdani, he said no appointment was fixed in this regard. “Besides, Mamdani is not an antisocial element. He is an elected mayor.”He further asked, “Modi went to Pakistan (in 2015). Whom did he take permission from?”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. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More Tags:Revanth Reddytelangana