Priyank Kharge questions MEA's ‘U-turn' on clearance for US trip: 'Chronology samajhiye…'

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday criticised the ministry of external affairs (MEA) for what he called a 'U-turn' on its earlier denial of political clearance for his official visit to the United States. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said the clearance was finally granted on June 19 – 36 days after his initial application and five days after his scheduled departure.(File)
Taking to social media platform X, Priyank Kharge said the clearance was finally granted on June 19 – 36 days after his initial application and five days after his scheduled departure.
'So in a U-turn, the Ministry of External Affairs has now decided to revoke its earlier decision and grant me a clearance for an official visit to the United States,' Kharge said, questioning the delay and motives behind the initial rejection.
Earlier, the Congress leader also claimed he had applied on May 15 for clearance to travel between June 14 and 27 to represent the Karnataka government at two global forums – BIO International Convention in Boston and the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco – along with over 25 meetings with major companies, universities, and institutions to pitch for investments and collaborations.
Kharge alleged that his original request, which included officers as part of the delegation, was denied on June 4 without any official explanation. A revised application for officers alone was approved on June 11. A subsequent request for clearance of KEONICS Chairman only was cleared on June 14.
"Chronology samajhiye," he remarked in his post, laying out the sequence of applications and decisions.
'Application for Minister + Officers Delegation made on 15 May — rejected on 4 June. Application for Officers Delegation without Minister on 6 June — cleared on 11 June. Application for KEONICS Chairman only on 12 June — cleared on 14 June. My application was denied without any official explanation. On 19 June, I addressed a press conference, laying out the full chronology, questioning the basis of the denial and raising concerns about possible political interference. The matter was widely reported in the media. By the evening of the same day, the MEA revoked its earlier denial and issued a No Objection clearance dated 19 June,' Kharge said a lengthy post.
'36 days after my original application, 15 days after the official denial and 5 days after my scheduled departure, they 'revoke' their previous decision,' the Congress leader added.
Questioning 'why was the clearance denied in the first place', Kharge argued that most of the key engagements were either already concluded or nearing completion. "What is the point of granting clearance after the key events are either over or nearing completion?" he asked, demanding accountability.
Kharge had earlier written to external affairs minister S Jaishankar, seeking a formal clarification on the denial of political clearance for his scheduled official visit to the US.
Taking to social media platform 'X' on Friday, he said he has written to Jaishankar, seeking clarity on why political clearance for his official visit to the US was denied.
"I do so with a deep sense of responsibility to the people of Karnataka, to whom I am duty-bound. The visit was aimed at strengthening collaborations, attracting investments and creating employment opportunities for the state," he said.
Kharge expressed that denying a Cabinet minister and the "custodian of one of the world's largest technology clusters", the ability to carry out such official responsibilities without explanation, raises serious concerns.
It was not only against the interests of the state but also undermines the spirit of cooperative federalism.
In his letter dated June 19, Kharge stated that participation in such visits are aligned with the national priorities and would have directly supported the larger vision of Viksit Bharat laid out by the Prime Minister.
(With inputs from PTI)