Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann was held at Delhi airport for three hours after returning from Paris, where he had been promoting Punjab products. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj posted on X, alleging that the Centre acted with "arrogance" and that the delay was a deliberate obstruction.
Customs officials say the delay was part of routine screening based on intelligence and risk assessment. "Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann cooperated with us. It was not a big issue. Nothing was found," a senior customs officer told Times Now, adding that profiling teams were deployed for all flights.
The incident follows Mann’s challenge to the Centre over the non‑granting of a No‑Objection Certificate for a Punjab project. Bharadwaj slammed the delay as an example of central arrogance, demanding that the Centre’s actions be ended.
The AAP has demanded a formal explanation from the Centre, while customs insists no targeted action occurred. No further action has been announced, and the matter remains under internal review.