New Delhi: Congress leader and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday (June 21) said after initially denying him a clearance to visit the US, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has now granted him a clearance.

Kharge questioned the reasons for this back and forth by the MEA and demanded an explanation.

“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. I had sought permission on 15 May to travel between 14–27 June to represent the Government of Karnataka at two major global forums and over 25 official meetings with top companies, universities and institutions for collaborations and pitch for investments,” Kharge wrote on X on Saturday.

Kharge added that the application for the visit of minister and officers’ delegation to the US made on May 15 was rejected on June 4. Thereafter, another application for officers’ delegation without Minister made on June 6 was cleared on June 11.

“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,” said Kharge.

He added that the clearance was received 36 days after his original application, 15 days after the official denial and five days after his scheduled departure.

“The timing raises serious questions: Why was the clearance denied in the first place? Was the previous order revoked to avoid accountability after the matter became public? What is the point of granting clearance after the key events are either over or nearing completion? Will the MEA now avoid explaining the original decision by pointing to the belated approval?” asked Kharge.

Kharge was scheduled to attend the BIO International Convention in Boston and the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco, Deccan Herald had earlier reported.

“While the Centre gives us slogans like “Make in India,” “Digital India”, “National Quantum Mission” and “India AI Mission,” the real work to realise these aspirations is happening here in Karnataka. They coin the vision, but when we do the work to bring investments, create jobs and position India as a global leader – they block us,” he added.

Kharge said that Karnataka deserves answer on the issue.

“The Prime Minister once said MAGA MIGA = MEGA. But what does that even mean in practice, when the very state driving India’s tech and innovation engine is denied the support it needs to lead globally?” said Kharge.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.