Priyank Kharge file photo
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied clearance for him to visit the United States of America (USA) on official business.
Priyank was scheduled to attend the BIO International Convention in Boston and the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco.
The Congress lawmaker is currently in France where he attended the VivaTech 2025, the Paris Air Forum and the Paris Air Show.
“I’m holding back on making any public statements for now. Once I’m back in Bengaluru, I will seek a clear explanation from the Government of India regarding this denial,” Priyank said in a tweet.
According to sources close to Priyank, he holds a valid US visa. “But MEA clearance is necessary to undertake official visits. There’s no clarity yet on why MEA has denied clearance,” one source said.
Priyank, the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, is a fervent opponent of the political ideology espoused by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).