While allowing the Punjab government’s petition on Friday, the Punjab and Haryana high court questioned the Centre’s decision to deny political clearance to chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led delegation’s visit to France, observing that the “political angle” cited as the reason for the denial had not been explained.
In the detailed order released on Saturday, the bench of justice Tribhuvan Dahiya said the Centre’s October 12 communication to the state government merely stated that “clearance from political angle is declined”, without explaining what the political angle or viewpoint was.
It also observed that the reasons subsequently furnished by the Centre in its affidavit could not justify the denial of clearance, as they did not find mention in the original communication.
The petition was allowed on Friday and the chief minister left for his France tour on Saturday.
The controversy started on Thursday when the state government challenged Centre’s move to deny permission for the visit.
The tour is in connection with participation of the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd. (MARKFED), the apex cooperative of the state, in the international food trade show, SIAL 2026, being held in Paris from October 17 to October 21. The MARKFED was allotted stall in the India Pavilion by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which is a body under the Union ministry of commerce and industry.
However, through an October 12 communication, the Centre denied clearance.
Besides security concerns, the Centre had argued that the decision to grant or deny political clearance for visit by ministers and chief ministers depended on a range of factors, including bilateral relations, prevailing political situation, diplomatic climate and any anti-India activities being undertaken in or emanating from that country, etc.
“As a matter of practice, the reason for denial is not conveyed on the portal, as many times the permission is refused for sensitivity of matter which cannot be disclosed due to bearing on bilateral relations,” the Centre had told the court pursuant to the petition by the Punjab government.
However, the court observed that the communication to the state government only said, “Ministry of external affairs has examined the proposal. Clearance from political angle is declined.”
“It has not been explained what that political angle/viewpoint is, and whether political clearance means examining the application from a political angle. No reasons are forthcoming,” the high court bench remarked.
Taking note of a September 22 communication from the event organiser, the court also did not find substance in the Centre’s argument that there was lack of a proper invitation from the French government.
It also did not accept the Centre’s contention that the chief minister had no functional role in leading the delegation. “…The requirement appears to be superfluous for the reason the clearance has been denied due to ‘political angle’ alone and not on any functional aspect of the dignitary’s visit,” the court said.
BJP slams foreign visit
The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, slammed Mann’s France visit, saying he left for a foreign tour at a time when the state was facing a grave fiscal crisis.
Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu questioned the expenditure incurred on the foreign trip.
Taking to X, he wrote: “Paris official visit or birthday vacation….Bhagwant Mann’s birthday trip to Paris — in whose name and at whose expense.”
“Punjab’s treasury is not a family holiday fund! Bhagwant Mann must disclose the purpose, expenses and official invitation,” Bittu said in the post
Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh alleged that Mann was using the pretext of setting up a Markfed stall to take a “family trip” to France to celebrate his birthday.
“While government employees are crying for dearness allowance and gangsters are ruining the state, this ‘fun trip’ of Bhagwant Mann is ‘making fun’ of Punjab and its people,” he alleged.
He further alleged that Mann was taking his wife along on the trip instead of addressing the people’s suffering. “What kind of official delegation includes the chief minister’s wife? What is the justification for her participation?” Chugh asked.
