Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann denied political clearance to visit Paris

Chandigarh: The Centre has denied political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for visiting to Paris to support the Indian hockey team at the ongoing Olympic Games, an official source said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said he has also been denied political clearance for going to the US to participate in a conference of speakers of legislative bodies from August 4 to August 7.

Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, was scheduled to visit Paris from August 3 to August 9 for the Indian hockey team's quarterfinal clash on August 4, and had sought political clearance for the same.

The Centre denied him the permission, saying since Mann is a Z-Plus security protectee, it is not possible to arrange his level of security at a short notice, the source in the Punjab government said.

The Chief Minister's Office was informed of the decision on Friday evening, the source added.

Political clearance for travelling abroad for senior leaders is required from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Sandhwan said he has been denied permission to visit Kentucky in the United States to attend the conference.

He claimed that the speakers from opposition-ruled states Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have also been denied clearance to travel abroad but 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.