Gopal Rai moves Delhi High Court after Centre denies him clearance for US visit to attend meeting

NEW DELHI:  Environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court seeking set aside of the Centre’s order denying him clearance to visit the United States from September 15 to 19 to attend Columbia India Energy Dialogue. The event is scheduled to be held in New York on September 18.
Rai challenged an order passed by the Centre on September 12 which denied him permission to travel abroad.

“Visit from Government of NCT of Delhi would not be appropriate as India is being represented at the Columbia-India Energy Dialogue by Shri Suman Kumar Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog (Ministerial-rank),” the order from the Centre said.

The minister’s plea would be heard on Friday before the bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad. Gopal contended that as per the programme schedule, Telangana government’s special chief secretary of municipal administration and urban development is also scheduled to speak at the event.

“The invitation is specific for different persons representing different stakeholders and does not intend to confine delegates at national level only for the formal representation of the country, therefore the reason cited is nothing but a colourable exercise of power and accordingly bad in law,” the plea read.

The plea also claimed that the denial was issued “in haste, without any application of mind, and in sheer violation of the principles of natural justice.” “The event focuses on the global energy policy and India’s energy transition through collaborative research…needs suitable and proper representation from the different stakeholders and think tanks,” the plea stated.