Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticised the Centre after the Ministry of External Affairs denied political clearance for his proposed visit to France from October 15 to 21. Mann said he had received an invitation from the French government to attend a food festival in Paris but was not being allowed to travel.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Mann took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “I don't know if Modi Ji has taken the contract to travel around the world.”
The Punjab government has challenged the Centre's decision in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the cancellation of the order denying political clearance to Mann and the accompanying delegation.
According to the state's petition, the proposed visit was linked to the participation of the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (MARKFED) in SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade show scheduled from October 17 to 21.
The petition stated that MARKFED had been allotted a stall under the APEDA India Pavilion. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Punjab government has described the denial of political clearance as arbitrary and alleged that the decision was made without providing any reason.
The matter came up for hearing before Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya on Thursday. Additional Solicitor-General Satya Pal Jain sought time to obtain instructions and file an affidavit on behalf of the Centre. The court is scheduled to hear the matter again on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mann also met Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Delhi on Thursday. During the meeting, the two discussed issues concerning Punjab, including the uninterrupted supply of electricity and coal to the state.
According to the Punjab government's statement, Khattar considered the demands and assured support for ensuring uninterrupted supplies.
Mann also strongly condemned the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.
The developments come as the Punjab government seeks judicial intervention over the denied France visit clearance while pursuing discussions with the Centre on the state's power supply requirements.
