Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge denied permission to travel to US for convention
It is unclear whether the denial came from India’s MEA or from US authorities, but the IAS officer accompanying Kharge to Paris was granted permission to proceed to the US
Karnataka’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Information Technology Priyank Kharge has been denied permission to travel to the United States. However, it is currently unclear whether the denial came from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) or from US authorities.
Priyank Kharge is currently on an official trip to Paris, from where he was scheduled to travel to Boston and San Francisco in the US to attend the Bio International Convention and the Design & Automation Conference.
Due to the denial of permission, however, he has had to cancel the US leg of his tour and return to India.
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Kharge, who was set to leave for the US after completing his official engagements in Paris, expressed disappointment over the denial of travel clearance. He stated that after returning to India, he would seek a specific explanation from the central government.
Notably, the IAS officer accompanying the minister to Paris was granted permission to proceed to the US, raising further questions.
Political debate
Kharge was slated to attend key events related to Information Technology and Biotechnology in the United States. With his travel blocked, his return has sparked political debate, especially since the accompanying official was allowed to go ahead while the minister was not.
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It is expected that Priyank Kharge will hold a press conference upon his return to Karnataka to elaborate on the matter. The incident is likely to further strain political relations between the Karnataka state government and the central government.
BJP responds
BJP spokesperson GS Prashanth, reacting to the news, said there was no clarity about the level at which clearance was denied, and that he would not comment till the MEA gave a clarification.
He said the central government is not averse to opposition leaders visiting foreign countries on an official basis, and that it has continued to allow Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to do so.
(This article first appeared in The Federal Karnataka)