Chandigarh, July 12, 2025 — A war of words has erupted between Punjab and Haryana leaderships after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s sharp remarks questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits drew a stern rebuke from Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Saini, hitting back at Mann late Friday, called his comments “inappropriate” and demanded an apology, accusing the Punjab leader of undermining democratic values and the dignity of constitutional offices.
“Bhagwant Mann ji seems to have forgotten that he is commenting not only on the Prime Minister but also on the trust and leadership of 140 crore Indians,” Saini posted on social media platform X. “Instead of interfering in global politics, he should focus on his state, which is drowning in drug addiction, corruption and debt.”
Saini credited Modi’s leadership for elevating India’s global standing, citing achievements like vaccine diplomacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and evacuations under the Vande Bharat Mission. “It is the result of Modi’s efficient leadership and strong global policy that today India is progressing shoulder to shoulder with developed nations,” Saini added.
The controversy was sparked by Mann’s comments earlier this week, when he mocked the Prime Minister for celebrating honors received from countries with small populations, allegedly neglecting domestic concerns of 140 crore Indians. “Pradhan Mantri ji has gone to Ghana? Has he come back from Ghana?… He is visiting Magneshia, Galveshia, Tarveshia, we don’t know where these are,” Mann said, ridiculing Modi’s foreign trips and adding, “Over here, that many people gather just to watch the JCB machine.”
The MEA, without directly naming Mann, condemned his remarks as “irresponsible” and stated that the Government of India “disassociates” itself from “unwarranted” statements by a “high state authority” that could harm India’s ties with friendly nations.
Mann, however, remained defiant, raising the issue again in the Punjab Assembly on Friday. “Don’t I have the right to question the Prime Minister about his foreign policy? Do these countries that he visits support our nation afterwards?” he asked, pointing to India’s strained relations with Pakistan as an example of foreign partners failing to intervene effectively.
Speaking to reporters later, Mann escalated his accusations further, implying that Modi’s foreign trips benefit private business interests, particularly those linked to billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani. “I asked about a foreign policy under which wherever you (Modi) go, Adani’s business starts there. Why don’t you accept that you go there to get someone business? Don’t we have the right to ask? We will ask. I will ask him this in future also,” Mann said.
The controversy underscores widening political rifts in the region and highlights how foreign policy has increasingly become fodder for sharp domestic political attacks, even as India seeks to project itself as an emerging global power.
