Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was slapped with a Rs 50,000 fine at the Delhi Airport after being stopped at the Delhi Airport for three hours while returning from France, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged.
In a video message shared on X, AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu alleged that the chief minister was deliberately humiliated and "detained for three hours" at the Delhi Airport at night.
Pannu claimed that Mann was stopped at the airport because he went to Paris under a court order, despite the Prime Minister trying to stop him from leaving India.
"And after he left from there, a fine of 50 thousand was slapped on him," the AAP spokesperson claimed.
He alleged that the Centre "never misses a chance to not insult Punjabis".
ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਜੀ ਕੋਈ ਮੌਕਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਣ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਜਦੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਬੇਇੱਜ਼ਤ ਨਾ ਕਰਨ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਏਅਰਪੋਰਟ ਤੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਰਾਤ ਤਿੰਨ ਘੰਟੇ ਇਸੇ ਖਿੱਝ ਤਹਿਤ ਰੋਕੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਰੋਕਣ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜ਼ੂਦ ਅਦਾਲਤੀ ਹੁਕਮ ਨਾਲ ਪੈਰਿਸ ਕਿਉਂ ਗਏ? ਅਤੇ ਉਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਉੱਥੋਂ ਜਾਣ ਦੇ ਬਾਅਦ 50 ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਦਾ ਚਲਾਣ ਬਣਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ
— Baltej Pannu (@BaltejPannu) October 20, 2026
Pannu alleged that so far, the Punjab chief minister has been stopped at least four times from going abroad. However, this time, he went to Paris under the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order.
"He (Mann) had gone there to launch Punjab's famous products at the world's second-largest food festival. The high court had clearly directed that Mann be accorded his due protocol, but such was the ill intent of the Centre that even the Consul General in Paris did not come to meet the chief minister," Pannu claimed.
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He claimed that Mann was kept waiting under excuses that his luggage was "still arriving" and was "still being checked".
"After three hours, when Mann was allowed to leave and was about to depart after placing his luggage in a vehicle, officials came running after him and said that they were under 'tremendous pressure from above'," he claimed.
"Then they issued a challan of Rs 50,000. The officials themselves admitted that they were under pressure, which proves that the entire episode was carried out under orders from above," Pannu added.
According to sources within the Delhi airport's customs department, a customs duty of Rs 50,000 was imposed on Mann because he failed to declare some items in his luggage. They further said that Mann was accompanied by his staff, whose luggage was also checked.
READ | Opposition's "Birthday Trip" Swipe At Bhagwant Mann Over France Visit Plan
The incident has triggered a political exchange, with AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj calling out the Centre's "arrogance".
"Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann went to Paris to launch Punjab's products at Paris. This was after he challenged Centre's not granting him the NOC. This arrogance of Centre must end. Even Ravan's arrogance ended on Dussehra," he wrote in a post on X.
Mann Saab stopped at Indian Airport for around 3 hours. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann went to Paris to launch Punjab's products at Paris. This was after he challenged Centre's not granting him the NOC. This arrogance of Centre must end. Even Ravan's arrogance ended on Dussehra.
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) October 20, 2026
However, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary Bikram Singh Majithia claimed that Mann and his wife Gurpreet Kaur were held for violating the laws.
👉 Punjab Chief Minister @BhagwantMann , who returned after celebrating his birthday in France, was reportedly kept waiting for 3 hours for violation of the law at Delhi airport by the Customs Department, along with his wife, Gurpreet Kaur. 👉 According to sources, they were questioned for hours over allegedly carrying more luggage or money than permitted. They reportedly failed to provide an explanation. They were eventually allowed to leave, considering Mann's position as Chief Minister. However, orders were issued to verify the bags of the entire CMO staff, including officials like Topi Sinha. 👉 The law is equal for everyone, and no one is above the law. 👉फ्रांस में अपना जन्मदिन मनाकर लौटे मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान को कस्टम डिपार्टमेंट ने दिल्ली एयरपोर्ट पर कानून की उल्लंघना करने पर 3 घंटे तक बैठाए रखा! 👉सूत्रों के मुताबिक, उनसे इजाज़त से ज़्यादा सामान/पैसा लाने पर घंटों पूछताछ की गई, वे कोई सफाई नहीं दे सके। फिर CM होने का बहाना बनाकर उन्हें छोड़ दिया गया, लेकिन टोपी सिन्हा जैसे अधिकारियों समेत सभी CMO स्टाफ के बैग वेरिफिकेशन के आदेश दिए गए। 👉कानून सबके लिए बराबर है और कोई भी कानून से ऊपर नहीं है। 👉ਫਰਾਂਸ 'ਚ ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮਨਾ ਕੇ ਵਾਪਸ ਆਏ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਸਮੇਤ ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਨੂੰ ਕਸਟਮਸ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਕਾਰਨ 3 ਘੰਟੇ ਬਿਠਾ ਕੇ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਏਅਰਪੋਰਟ ਉਪਰ! 👉ਸੂਤਰਾਂ ਮੁਤਾਬਕ Allow ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਸਮਾਨ/ਪੈਸੇ ਲਿਆਉਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਘੰਟਿਆਂ ਬੱਧੀ ਪੁੱਛਗਿੱਛ ਹੋਈ, ਕੋਈ Explanation ਨਹੀਂ ਦੇ ਸਕੇ। ਫਿਰ CM ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਲਿਹਾਜ਼ ਨਾਲ ਛੱਡਿਆ ਪਰ ਸਾਰੇ CMO ਸਟਾਫ਼ ਸਮੇਤ ਟੋਪੀ ਸਿਨ੍ਹਾ ਵਰਗੇ ਅਫਸਰਾਂ ਦੀ Bag Verification ਦੇ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੋਏ। 👉ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਸਭ ਲਈ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਤੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਵੱਡਾ ਨਹੀਂ। @CsPunjab @AAPPunjab @BhagwantMann @ArvindKejriwal @ptcnews @abpsanjha @News18Punjab @ZeePunjabHH @dailyajitnews @JagbaniOnline @RozanaSpokesman @PTribuneOnline @punjabkesari @RepublicTV @ndtv @IndiaToday @aajtak @ZeeNews @News18India @ABPNews @CNNnews18 @ThePrintIndia @the_hindu @IndianExpress @htTweets @EconomicTimes @PTI_News @thetribunechd @ANI @ians_india
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) October 20, 2026
"According to sources, they were questioned for hours over allegedly carrying more luggage or money than permitted. They reportedly failed to provide an explanation. They were eventually allowed to leave, considering Mann's position as Chief Minister. However, orders were issued to verify the bags of the entire CMO staff, including officials like Topi Sinha," Majithia said in a post on X.