Punjab and Haryana High Court Clears Bhagwant Mann’s France Visit After Centre Denies Political Clearance for Fourth Time

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday overturned the Centre’s decision to deny political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his proposed visit to France. The ruling came amid a growing dispute between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government and the Centre over repeated restrictions on Mann’s overseas travel.

Mann is scheduled to visit France from October 17 to 21 to attend SIAL Paris, an international food exhibition. The Punjab government said the visit would help promote the state’s agricultural and food-processing products and explore opportunities in international markets. Punjab’s cooperative marketing federation, Markfed, has established a stall at the exhibition, and the state government stated that it would bear the cost of the Chief Minister’s visit.

The controversy began after the Ministry of External Affairs refused to grant political clearance for the trip. The Punjab government subsequently approached the High Court, arguing that the Centre had rejected the request without providing any specific reason. The court eventually granted relief to Mann, setting aside the refusal.

The latest decision marks the fourth instance in 2026 in which the Centre has denied political clearance for Mann’s proposed foreign visits, raising questions about the process followed for approving overseas travel by elected state leaders.

Repeated Denials Raise Questions Over Centre-State Relations and Punjab’s Investment Outreach Efforts

The AAP government has repeatedly questioned the Centre’s decisions, maintaining that international visits are important for attracting investment, expanding business opportunities and promoting Punjab globally.

Earlier this year, the Centre reportedly denied clearance for Mann’s proposed visits to the United Kingdom and Israel in January, followed by the Netherlands and the Czech Republic in February. These trips were planned as investment outreach exercises ahead of Punjab’s investment summit.

In September, clearance was also denied for a proposed visit to Japan. Mann had intended to watch the Indian men’s hockey team compete at the Asian Games and invite the International Hockey Federation to Punjab, which is hosting the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy.

For the France visit, the state government said it had written to the External Affairs Ministry on September 3 and 8 and submitted an online application on September 9. It also stated that the required administrative approvals and cadre clearance had been obtained.

Reacting to the latest denial, Mann criticised the Centre, questioning why his overseas visits were repeatedly blocked. The dispute has renewed debate over administrative clearances, political differences between the Centre and states, and the ability of state governments to pursue international economic engagement.