Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was denied political clearance to visit Paris to support the Indian hockey team at the ongoing Olympic Games.
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.
The reasons for the denial of permission have raised eyebrows. According to official sources, Mann's permission was denied due to security concerns, citing his Z-Plus security protectee status. The Centre claimed it was unable to arrange the required level of security at short notice. Sandhwan, on the other hand, was denied permission to visit Kentucky for a conference, with no reasons specified.
The denial of permission has led to allegations of political bias, with Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat accusing the Centre of discriminating against Punjab. Barsat pointed out that speakers from opposition-ruled states Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala were also denied clearance, while the speaker from Meghalaya was allowed to travel abroad.
Despite being denied permission, Mann showed his support for the Indian hockey team by speaking to captain Harmanpreet Singh over the phone. He congratulated the team on their historic win over Australia and expressed his desire to visit Paris to boost their morale. However, he was unable to do so due to the Centre's denial.
The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that the Centre's actions are a violation of fundamental rights and an insult to the people of Punjab. Barsat cited previous instances of discrimination, including denying Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal permission to visit Singapore and excluding Punjab's tableau from the Republic Day parade. He also mentioned the Centre's alleged discrimination against Punjab in terms of compensation for flood-affected farmers, rural development funds, and national health mission funds.
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