Chandigarh: The Punjab government has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the Centre’s decision to deny clearance for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s proposed visit to France, alleging that permission was withheld without any explanation despite the completion of formalities.
The state government filed its petition on Thursday, arguing that the Ministry of External Affairs’ online portal showed the application only as ‘denied’, without specifying any reason for the decision.
Taking up the matter for urgent hearing, the high court directed the Centre to file its response by Friday morning.
According to the petition, Mann was scheduled to visit France from October 15 to 21, accompanied by the chief secretary and the chief minister’s principal secretary.
The delegation was due to attend SIAL Paris 2026, an international food industry exhibition scheduled to take place in Paris from October 17 to 21.
The proposed visit aimed to explore international business opportunities for Punjab’s agricultural and food-processing products, including avenues to expand their reach in overseas markets.
The court’s next hearing is expected to consider the Centre’s response to the state government’s challenge.