‘Only Modi can tour’: Denied foreign trip 4th time, Mann moves court
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has moved to the high court after being denied political clearance by the Indian central government for a fourth time. The government blocked his travel to a food festival in Paris, leading Mann to criticize the Centre for allegedly favoring the Prime Minister's international travel over state-level diplomatic outreach.
Why it matters
This reflects the ongoing friction between India's federal government and opposition-led state governments regarding diplomatic protocol and foreign engagement.
Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday criticised the Centre for denying him political clearance to visit Paris, where he has been invited to attend a food festival featuring a Markfed exhibition stall.Replying to a question, Mann told media in New Delhi, “What do we do? There is a food festival being held in Paris, and we received an invitation from the French govt, with Markfed putting up a stall. Earlier, I was also scheduled to travel to Japan for three days to watch the semi-finals and finals of the hockey matches. Since we are hosting the Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy starting Oct 27, we also wanted to extend a formal invitation to them in person.”Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led Centre, Mann added, “They simply refuse to give me permission (to travel abroad).
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