Did CM want to meet Mamdani in US, asks Kishan Reddy
Hyderabad: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday, August 25, pushed back against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the Centre’s refusal to clear his proposed US visit and said the latter should make it clear whether he planned to meet New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Referring to media reports that the Chief Minister wanted to meet Mamdani, Kishan Reddy criticised the New York Mayor for holding anti-India views and “spewing venom at India”.
“Mamdani has restricted local celebrations like Diwali in New York and favours Pakistan,” he alleged.
“He (Mamdani) is a stupid man who compared India’s Prime Minister with a terrorist. Did Revanth Reddy seek to meet such a person? Revanth Reddy should state why he wanted to meet him,” Kishan Reddy told reporters in Delhi.
‘Travel rules not set by BJP or Modi govt’Rejecting claims of a political vendetta, the Union Minister said travel rules for CMs and other dignitaries have not been set by the Narendra Modi government or by the BJP.
The Ministry of External Affairs has operated within the existing protocols which have been in force for long, he claimed.
Pointing out that previous governments, including the Congress dispensation, have withheld travel permissions for Chief Ministers, Kishan Reddy said such decisions are only administrative procedures.
“The then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi was denied permission for a US tour by the UPA government in 2005.”
The Centre has approved Revanth Reddy’s trips to the US and UK in the past, he said.
Kishan Reddy said he was advised against visiting Russia and other foreign countries on different occasions.
He suggested that the CM meet the External Affairs Minister or depute officials for the approval of his foreign visit.
Addressing claims that the Centre blocked Revanth Reddy’s efforts to bring international universities to Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy said the CM should prioritise releasing the pending dues of students’ tuition fee reimbursement scheme.
Kishan Reddy urged the Chief Minister to implement Congress election promises for students, including a 15 per cent budgetary allocation for education, a Rs 5 lakh card for students, ‘scootys’ for female college students, and an ‘international school’ in every mandal.
‘Congress caste survey in Telangana was a failure’Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter to PM Modi suggesting that the national caste census adopt the ‘Telangana model’, Kishan Reddy termed the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in Telangana as a “failure”.
The enumerators of the caste survey did not visit even 20 per cent of the homes in Hyderabad, alleged Kishan Reddy, Secunderabad Lok Sabha MP.
The census is being conducted in a scientific manner using technology, he said.
Accusing Rahul Gandhi of not supporting any government initiative in the last 12 years, he said the former adopted a vindictive attitude towards PM Modi and the Centre.
“Rahul Gandhi’s actions have been hurtful towards various systems of the country,” he added.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on August 25 launched a sharp attack on PM Modi and the NDA government over the denial of his US visit, calling the decision “dictatorial” and an insult to the four crore people of the state.
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