Centre's decision will affect India's image on the global stage: AAP

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not be able to attend the C-40 Climate Summit in Denmark as the Ministry of External Affairs refused political clearance to his visit, said official sources on Tuesday.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh termed the Centre's decision to withhold the clearance "unfortunate", saying it would affect India's image. He also wondered why the Centre was "so much" angry with the AAP government. "Kejriwal was not going on a vacation but to tell the world how Delhi managed to reduce its air pollution by over 25 per cent through its schemes like odd-even," Singh told reporters.

Singh said the Centre's decision will "affect India's image on the global stage and send a wrong message in the international community". "What will the people think about how our federal structure works. Why is there so much anger against us from the Centre?" the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP said.

The MEA, however, gave clearance to West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, claimed sources. In response to media query over Kejriwal's proposed visit to Denmark, the MEA last week had said a decision on the issue is taken based on multiple inputs.