Punjab Moves High Court After Centre Denies Clearance for Mann's France Visitਮਾਨ ਦੇ ਫਰਾਂਸ ਦੌਰੇ ਲਈ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਨਾ ਮਿਲਣ 'ਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਹਾਈ ਕੋਰਟ ਪਹੁੰਚਿਆ

The Punjab government has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the Union government's refusal of political clearance for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to France, turning a denied travel permission into a full Centre-State legal fight. A bench of Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya heard the petition on Thursday, sought a response from the Union government, and kept the matter for Friday, October 16.

Mann was to travel from October 15 to 21 with Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha and his Principal Secretary Ravi Bhagat to promote Punjab's trade at SIAL Paris, a major international food exhibition held once every two years at Paris Nord Villepinte from October 17 to 21.

What the petition says

According to the petition, reported in detail by legal news outlet LiveLaw, the Ministry of External Affairs neither sought clarifications nor pointed out any deficiency in the state's application, and the request simply showed as denied on the ministry's online clearance portal. The state argues that a mechanism meant for coordination has been turned into a veto over a state government's executive functions.

The plea contends that the requirement of political clearance rests only on office memoranda and instructions of the Cabinet Secretariat and the external affairs ministry, not on any Act of Parliament, and that these instructions set out no criteria, no time limit, no duty to give reasons and no appeal. It invokes the right to travel abroad as part of personal liberty, the state's executive power over agriculture, industries and trade within the state, and the federal structure as a basic feature of the Constitution. Appearing for Punjab, Additional Advocate General Chanchal Singla also argued discrimination, submitting that Haryana's chief minister, who belongs to the ruling BJP, was recently allowed to travel abroad.

A visit built around farmers' produce

The petition says the trip was planned around the state's farm and food sector. MARKFED, Punjab's apex cooperative marketing federation, had been allotted a stall in the India Pavilion of APEDA, the central government's agricultural export promotion body, which confirmed the stall on September 3. MARKFED was to bear the entire cost of the visit. The state applied for clearance on September 9, thirty-six days before departure, against the three weeks the ministry's own instructions require, and says the Indian Mission in France had been consulted. The itinerary included meetings with the Punjabi and Indian diaspora, trade associations, chambers of commerce, importers and investors, and a call on the Indian Ambassador to France.

Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain appeared for the Union government at Thursday's hearing. The court has not yet passed an interim order, and with SIAL Paris opening on October 17, the delegation's window to travel is narrow even if clearance is granted on Friday.

Not the first blocked trip

This is not the first time the Aam Aadmi Party government has accused the Centre of grounding its chief minister. In January this year, the party said Mann and Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora had been denied clearance for a United Kingdom and Israel investment tour, again without reasons being shared. In 2024, Mann was refused permission to travel to Paris to cheer the Indian hockey team at the Olympic Games, a decision the Centre then linked to security arrangements.

Why does a chief minister need political clearance to travel abroad?

Under the Union government's instructions, chief ministers and senior officials require political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs for official foreign travel. Punjab's petition argues the requirement has no statutory basis and leaves the decision entirely to the Centre's discretion.

What is SIAL Paris, and why did Punjab want to attend?

SIAL Paris is a biennial international food trade exhibition, held this year from October 17 to 21. Punjab's MARKFED had a stall in the India Pavilion, and the delegation planned to promote the state's farm produce and food products to importers and investors.

When will the High Court hear the case next?

Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya heard the petition on Thursday, October 15, sought the Union government's response, and kept the matter for the next day, Friday, October 16.