Centre denies political clearance to Punjab CM's foreign trip for the third time

The Centre, for the third time, has withheld political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's official foreign trip, with the latest instance being the denial of clearance for his proposed trip to the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, which has now been cancelled.

Earlier in January, the Centre denied political clearance to the Punjab Chief Minister for his visit to the UK and Israel. The MEA had also denied political clearance to Mann for his visit to France during the Paris Olympics.

The latest refusal of political clearance for an official foreign visit has once again sharpened the focus on the strained relationship between the Centre and the Punjab government, with the Aam Aadmi Party alleging that opposition-ruled states are being selectively constrained, reported NDTV.

‘Investment-related foreign trips'

According to the party, the Punjab Chief Minister was scheduled to head a delegation to two European countries as part of the state’s efforts to attract investment ahead of the investors’ summit planned for next month.

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AAP leaders maintain that such engagements are critical for outreach with potential investors, educational institutions and the Punjabi diaspora, particularly when similar overseas visits by Chief Ministers from other states have taken place in the past.

Under existing norms, Chief Ministers must obtain political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs before undertaking official foreign travel. While the MEA does not place its reasons in the public domain, repeated refusals in this case have fuelled political criticism and added to the sense of confrontation.

UK, Israel visit also denied clearance: AAP

The party has pointed out that this is not an isolated instance. Earlier this year, political clearance was denied for a proposed visit to the United Kingdom and Israel, which was also linked to investment promotion ahead of a major summit, reported India Today.

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The delegation for that trip was to include the state’s industries minister and senior bureaucrats, and was projected as part of a broader global outreach exercise by the Punjab government.

AAP has said no explanation was offered by the Centre for that decision either. Party leaders argue that the absence of clarity has only deepened mistrust and raised questions about the consistency of the clearance process.

‘Not an exception, but a pattern’

The party further recalled that permission was refused in 2024 for the Chief Minister’s travel to Paris during the Olympic Games, describing it as part of a pattern rather than an exception.

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It has contended that overseas engagement by state governments plays a role in job creation and industrial expansion, and that blocking such initiatives ultimately affects both the state and the country.

With multiple proposed visits failing to secure approval, the cancellations have become another point of friction between the Mann-led government and the Centre at a time when the political atmosphere is already tense.