Punjab chief minister alleges centre blocks his Paris and Japan trips, cites bias
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the central government denied his request to attend a Paris food festival and a hockey event in Japan, accusing the Modi-led centre of favouring other leaders.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the centre for rejecting his request to travel to Paris, where he was invited by the French government to the SIAL food expo featuring a Markfed stall, and to Japan to attend the Asian Games hockey semi-finals. Mann said the denial came from the Ministry of External Affairs, prompting him to seek a high-court order for permission. He highlighted a pattern of refusals, noting past blocks on trips to the Olympics, the UK-Israel investment tour, and other officials’ foreign visits, including minister Aman Arora and speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan.
The Aam Aadmi Party claims the rejections are politically motivated, contrasting them with Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s recent approved trips to Singapore and Sweden. Mann argued the overseas trips aim to attract investment and create jobs for Punjab’s youth.
Why it matters
It reveals tensions between a state leader and the central government over foreign travel permissions that affect investment outreach.
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