After CM Mann, Punjab speaker denied nod for US visit

Chandigarh

A day after the Centre denied chief minister Bhagwant Mann political clearance to visit Paris Olympics to cheer the Indian hockey team on security grounds, it declined permission to Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to travel to Kentucky in the US to attend a conference.

Sandhwan, who was to fly to Louisville city on Saturday to attend the meet of speakers of legislative bodies from August 4 to 7, got a message online saying he could not be granted political clearance. He claimed that speakers from opposition-ruled states of Karnataka, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh had also been denied permission to travel abroad, while their counterpart from Meghalaya had been given the clearance.

“I have been told that I have applied late for the permission, but it seems that the Centre has some political agenda as it is denying permission to representatives of opposition-ruled states,” said Sandhwan, hitting back at the Centre.

He said that there are 3,000 legislators from across the globe converging in the US for this conference. “They (central government) want India to make ‘vishwaguru’, but deny permission to Opposition leaders to represent the country on a global platform. Earlier, they denied permission to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and now CM Bhagwant Mann,” said Sandhawan.

The Centre had declined permission to Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, to visit Paris from August 3 to 9 for the Indian hockey team’s quarterfinal match on August 4, saying since the chief minister is a Z-Plus security protectee, it is not possible to arrange his level of security at a short notice.

A Punjab government official said the chief minister’s office was informed about the decision on Friday evening.

Political clearance for senior political leaders is required from the ministry of external affairs for travelling abroad.

Mann on Saturday hit back at the Centre for denying permission. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi only wants himself at the Paris Olympics, thus denying permission to other politicians.

After denial of permission, Mann on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and congratulated him for victory over Australia. He wished the Indian team the best of luck and said that the country has high hopes from the team.

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has been at loggerheads with the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of delaying the release of the rural development fund, mandi development fund, samagra shiksha and health project funds.