
Centre denies political clearance to Punjab minister Harbhajan Singh for US visit, AAP slams move
Singh was invited to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit 2025, to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, from August 4 to 6. With this, he becomes the fourth AAP minister or senior functionary from Punjab to be refused permission for foreign travel by the Centre.
According to sources, all political leaders require clearance from the MEA for overseas visits. In this instance, the clearance was denied citing security reasons.
Responding to the development, Minister Harbhajan Singh expressed disappointment, stating, 'The summit would have been a valuable learning experience and a chance to engage with legislators and policy innovators from around the world. It could have helped bring back progressive ideas for the benefit of Punjab.'
When asked why the clearance was denied, Singh said, 'The MEA would know better.'

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