Past rejections by Centre cast shadow over Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s proposed Europe visit

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of Punjab, along with a team of around a dozen officials from various departments, is planning to visit Europe in October. The purpose of the trip is to participate in exhibitions in France and Italy, where Punjab is set to showcase its agricultural and food products, specifically those of MARKFED and Punjab Agro.

The state government is actively working on the logistics for this proposed visit, slated to commence on October 21. However, the process of seeking political clearance from the Centre for Mann's travel remains a contentious issue.

Sources indicate that there is ongoing deliberation within the government about whether to submit an application for political clearance. This hesitation is primarily due to Mann's history of being denied political clearance for foreign travel on at least two prior occasions since his assumption of office as Chief Minister. While the government is expected to initiate the proposal for political clearance, it seems the process was only set in motion on Tuesday.

According to one source, plans are in place for the visit, as Mann wishes to witness the exhibitions and observe the state's agricultural and food products on display. However, it appears that the decision to apply for clearance was delayed, with some sources stating they had submitted all necessary documents to the Chief Minister's Office earlier in the week.

There are also reported instances of political clearance being blocked for Mann in the past, such as in August 2024 when he was denied clearance to attend the Indian men’s hockey team's Olympics in Paris. This led to a political standoff, with the AAP alleging deliberate obstruction from the Centre. Similar restrictions faced by other Punjab leaders, including Industries Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in August 2025 and Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan in 2023, have raised questions about the consistency and fairness of such clearance decisions.

Despite these setbacks, Mann has previously traveled abroad for official investment-related purposes, including a delegation visit to Japan in December 2025 and a trip to South Korea, where the government organized investment outreach programs.