Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) has accused the Union government of deliberately blocking his overseas travel on political grounds, after he was denied clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) just hours before he was set to fly to the United States for a series of lectures at top global universities in 2023.
Speaking to TNM, PTR recounted being invited to speak at institutions like MIT, Harvard, and the Kennedy School of Government in 2023. However, 12 hours before his scheduled departure to Browne University, he received a denial of clearance from the MEA. “The rejection was justified as a 'political angel [quoting the MEA letter verbatim],” he said, calling it a “soft refusal” based on claims that the original invitation—issued by a university centre director—was not of a high enough protocol level for a state minister.
In a surprising turn, PTR said the professor who invited him swiftly arranged for a new letter of invitation from the university president, who also happened to be an economist interested in hearing him speak. “Within four hours, I had a fresh invitation from the highest authority at the university. After that, there was no valid reason to deny my travel. But still, the MEA waited until my flight was due to take off to send a rejection — without any explanation,” he said.
PTR, who spent two decades in the US before entering politics, questioned the rationale behind such gatekeeping. “Let me ask you — how is it in the interest of India’s growth, or Tamil Nadu’s investment future, to deny a person like me the opportunity to speak on global platforms?”
The Minister went on to call the travel clearance process a “malafide” practice and took aim at the larger question of federal cooperation. “If I’m traveling to countries like the US, UK, or Australia—all of which have strong diplomatic ties with India—why does the Union government need to approve my travel? Why this additional check and balance for a democratically elected state minister?”
PTR’s remarks come in the backdrop of growing friction between the Union government and non-BJP ruled states over issues of federal autonomy and bureaucratic overreach.
During the interview, PTR also weighed in on the constitutional role of Governors, calling the position a “hangover from the British Raj.” “There is no natural need for an additional constitutional position,” he said, questioning the need for a centrally-appointed representative in states when the Constitution treats Union and state governments as equals.
Watch full interview here: