The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) refused to grant political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his planned visit to Paris to support the Indian hockey team at the ongoing Olympic Games, an official source confirmed on Saturday.
Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, had sought permission for his trip to Paris from August 3 to August 9, including attending the Indian hockey team’s quarterfinal match on August 4.
However, the MEA denied the request, citing the difficulty of arranging appropriate security for Mann, who is a Z-Plus security protectee, on short notice.
Political clearance for travelling abroad for senior leaders must be obtained from the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Chief Minister’s Office was informed of the decision on Friday evening, according to the Punjab government source.
Additionally, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has been denied clearance for his trip to the US, where he was set to attend a conference of legislative body speakers from August 4 to August 7.
Sandhwan stated that he has been denied permission to visit Kentucky, US, for a conference. He also claimed that speakers from opposition-ruled states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala have faced similar denials, while the speaker from Meghalaya received clearance.
Earlier today, Mann spoke with Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and congratulated him and his squad for their historic win over Australia in the ongoing Olympic Games.
During the phone call, Mann expressed his desire to visit Paris to support the hockey team, which is scheduled to play in the quarterfinals on August 4. However, he was unable to do so due to the denial of political clearance.
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat condemned the denial of permission to Mann to visit France by the BJP-led Centre.
“Mann to visit Paris, the central government has not only insulted the three crore people of Punjab but also hurt their sentiments, as most of the players in the Indian hockey team are from Punjab. This is equivalent to putting a stop to the fundamental rights of a constitutionally-elected person,” Barsat said in a statement.
The denial of permission to Mann to visit Paris to boost the morale of the hockey team is another example of discrimination against Punjab, he alleged.
Stopping AAP leaders from going abroad is not new, Barsat said.
Earlier, the Narendra Modi government had denied permission to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to visit Singapore to study the education system there, he pointed out.
The Centre had also discriminated against Punjab “by not including” the state’s tableau at the Republic Day parade, “not providing compensation to farmers affected by floods, preventing farmers from going to Delhi, stopping Punjab’s rural development fund and national health mission fund,” Barsat said.
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