India, Aug. 22 -- Telangana chief minister and Congress leader A Revanth Reddy was denied political clearance for a planned visit to the US because the purpose and programme of the trip did not conform with established norms, the external affairs ministry said on Friday.

Reddy left for a 10-day visit to the UK and the US this week. He is now expected to return home on August 23 after completing the UK leg of the tour, for which political clearance was granted. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Hyderabad said he was denied permission to go to the US because of a "political angle".

When external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about the matter at a regular media briefing in Delhi, he replied: "The visit of chief...