AAP Claims Bhagwant Mann Was Held at Delhi Airport for 3 Hours, Issued Rs 50,000 Challan

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was stopped for almost three hours at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after returning from Paris and then slapped a challan of Rs 50,000 on him.

The party said the delays had been due to the behaviour of airport workers in clearing suitcases and the airport authorities told Mann they were working under “tremendous pressure from above”. The alleged incident has been termed as a humiliation of the chief minister and the target of Punjab by AAP.

However, the party did not clarify why the challan was issued, and the circumstances surrounding the reported incident remain unclear.

AAP leaders accuse Centre of targeting Mann

Baltej Pannu, AAP’s media in-charge in Punjab, alleged that Mann was kept waiting at the airport on the pretext that his luggage had not arrived or was still being checked.

According to Pannu, the chief minister was allowed to leave after nearly three hours. He claimed that as Mann was about to depart after loading his luggage into a vehicle, officials approached him and said they were facing pressure from higher authorities.

Pannu asked whether any other state chief minister had been treated like that and termed it as “shame on Punjab”.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also criticised the alleged delay. In a post on X, he said Mann had travelled to Paris to promote Punjab’s products after challenging the Centre’s decision to deny political clearance for his visit.

Dispute over political clearance for Paris visit

The airport incident comes after a controversy over the Centre’s refusal to grant Mann political clearance for his trip to Paris.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier turned down the denial and had allowed the chief minister to make the visit stating that he will be accorded proper protocol.

Mann travelled to Paris to attend SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade exhibition held from October 17 to 21. Punjab’s products were promoted at the event through a Markfed stall.

Pannu alleged that the Centre had denied permission for Mann’s foreign visits on at least four occasions. He also claimed that the Consul General in Paris did not meet the chief minister despite the court’s directions regarding protocol.

AAP has further accused the government of not honouring the state of Punjab due to its alleged refusal to release funds over the protests by the farmers at the Delhi borders and the government’s reponse.

Akali Dal leader had raised luggage-related allegations

Separately, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia had claimed 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 alleged that the couple was questioned before being allowed to leave, taking Mann’s position as chief minister into consideration. He also claimed that officials were instructed to check the bags of staff accompanying the chief minister’s office.

The AAP has linked the reported airport delay and Rs 50,000 challan to what it describes as a broader attempt to target Mann and Punjab.

The reason for the challan and the full circumstances of the alleged airport episode have not been specified in the party’s account.