The Centre has refused to grant political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his visit to Paris in support of the Indian hockey team at the ongoing Olympic Games, according to an official source on Saturday. Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also stated that he has been denied political clearance for his trip to the US to attend a conference of speakers of legislative bodies from August 4 to August 7.
Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, had planned to visit Paris from August 3 to August 9 for the Indian hockey team’s quarterfinal match on August 4 and had sought political clearance for the same. The Centre denied him permission, citing that since Mann is a Z-Plus security protectee, it is not possible to arrange his level of security on short notice, as per the source in the Punjab government. The Chief Minister’s Office was informed of the decision on Friday evening, the source added. Political clearance for traveling abroad for senior leaders is required from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Sandhwan mentioned that he has been denied permission to visit Kentucky in the United States for the conference. He claimed that speakers from opposition-ruled states Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala have also been denied clearance to travel abroad, while the speaker from Meghalaya has been given the go-ahead.
Mann spoke to Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh on Saturday and congratulated his squad for a historic win over Australia in the ongoing Olympic Games. Speaking to the skipper over the phone, Mann said he wanted to visit Paris to encourage the hockey team, which is scheduled to appear in the quarterfinal clash on August 4, but he could not as he has been denied 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. “By not allowing 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.