Punjab’s chief minister, Bhagwant Mann, had been slated to travel to Japan on October 1 to watch the Indian men’s hockey team face China in the Asian Games semi‑final, after the Asian Hockey Federation invited a Punjab delegation to the event. The invitation, announced on September 21, highlighted that eight of India’s 20‑player squad hail from Punjab and that the state would host the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy later that month.
But on October 2, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a denial of political clearance, explaining that a chief minister’s visit demands additional protocol, security and logistical arrangements beyond those for athletes. Sources in the ministry said, "At an Asian Games venue, priority is accommodation, security and facilities for athletes. The visit of a chief minister needs significant protocol, security and logistical arrangements."
The move echoes earlier refusals, such as the July 2022 denial of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s trip to Singapore for the World Cities Summit, and the 2019 refusal to let him attend the C40 Climate Summit in Copenhagen. AAP officials warned that the central government’s stance aimed to prevent the chief minister from "talking about the world‑class work done in Delhi" on the international stage.
With the Punjab government’s plans to use the Japan visit as a practice run for hosting the Champions Trophy, the denial forces Mann to stay in India and focus on domestic preparations. The central government’s decision is expected to spark a political row ahead of the state assembly elections, and the CM has yet to announce a replacement strategy.