The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was detained for nearly three hours at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after returning from Paris, before officials issued him a challan of Rs 50,000, claiming they were under “tremendous pressure from above”.
The party has accused the Centre of deliberately humiliating Mann and creating hurdles in Punjab's progress, linking the alleged incident to repeated denials of political clearance for the chief minister's foreign visits.
Baltej Pannu, AAP's media in-charge in Punjab, alleged that Mann was kept waiting at the airport under the pretext that his luggage was still arriving and being checked.
“When Mann returned from Paris and arrived at the Delhi airport, he was deliberately detained for three hours. Excuses were made that 'your luggage is still arriving' and 'your luggage is still being checked',” Pannu said in a statement.
He further claimed that officials approached Mann just as he was about to leave the airport after loading his luggage into a vehicle.
“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',” Pannu alleged.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also alleged that Mann was made to wait at the airport after travelling to Paris to promote Punjab's products. In a post on X, Bharadwaj said the chief minister's visit came after he challenged the Centre's decision to deny him political clearance for the trip.
“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 said in the post.
According to the AAP leader, officials subsequently issued a challan of Rs 50,000. He argued that their alleged admission of pressure indicated that the episode had been carried out under instructions from higher authorities.
“Has any chief minister of an Indian state ever been detained at an airport for three hours in this manner? Has any chief minister of a state ever been disrespected by being issued a challan of Rs 50,000?” Pannu asked, calling the incident an insult to Punjab.
However, the AAP did not specify the reason for the challan.
AAP ALLEGES CENTRE REPEATEDLY BLOCKED MANN’S FOREIGN TRIPS
The AAP has also linked the alleged airport episode to the Centre's earlier refusal to grant Mann political clearance for his Paris visit. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had set aside the denial and allowed the trip, directing that the chief minister be accorded due protocol.
CM Mann travelled to Paris to participate in SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade exhibition being held from October 17 to 21, where Punjab's products were being promoted through a Markfed stall.
Pannu alleged that the Centre had repeatedly obstructed the chief minister's overseas visits, claiming that permission had been denied at least four times. He also alleged that the Consul General in Paris did not meet Mann despite the court's direction on protocol.
The AAP leader accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of repeatedly undermining Punjab, citing issues including the withholding of funds allegedly due to the state and the handling of farmers' protests at Delhi's borders.
The allegations came amid separate claims by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who had earlier alleged that Customs officials stopped Mann and his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, for around three hours over questions concerning excess luggage or money beyond permitted limits.
Majithia claimed that the couple was questioned and was eventually allowed to leave, taking Mann's position as chief minister into consideration. He also alleged that instructions were issued to check the bags of staff accompanying the chief minister's office.
The AAP, meanwhile, has portrayed the alleged delay and challan as a deliberate attempt to target Mann and Punjab. The circumstances behind the reported airport incident and the reason for the Rs 50,000 challan were not specified in the party's statement.
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