Punjab Government Files High Court Petition After Centre Denies Clearance for CM Bhagwant Mann's France Visit

The Punjab government has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court after the Union Ministry of External Affairs denied political clearance for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's official trip to France for SIAL Paris 2026. The state argues the denial was arbitrary, non-speaking, and violated constitutional provisions governing state executive authority. MARKFED, Punjab's apex cooperative body, had secured exhibition space at the event and agreed to fund the visit. Clearance requests were submitted in early September, and with departure scheduled for October 15, the state sought urgent judicial intervention.