Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was stopped for three hours at Delhi Airport’s customs checkpoint on the night of October 20, 2026, and a ₹50,000 penalty was imposed for undeclared items in his luggage.
Baltej Pannu, AAP Punjab media in‑charge, slammed the move as a deliberate humiliation, arguing that Mann had travelled to Paris to showcase Punjab’s products under a high‑court order that exempted him from standard clearance protocols.
Pannu noted that the CM had faced similar detentions earlier, but this time the delay was justified by customs officials who cited “pressure from higher authorities” in their statement.
According to the Delhi Customs Department, the fine was levied because Mann failed to declare certain goods, and his staff’s luggage was also inspected. The department said the decision complied with customs regulations and acknowledged the pressure from senior officials.
Political fallout intensified as SAD’s Bikram Singh Majithia accused the centre of violating the law, while AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj called the centre’s actions “arrogance.” The incident has sparked a debate over the treatment of elected officials at airports.
The Delhi Customs Board will review the fine within 30 days, and a follow‑up hearing is scheduled for November 15, 2026, to determine whether further enforcement action is warranted.
Meanwhile, Mann’s team is preparing a statement to clarify the circumstances of his return from France, hoping to quell the political firestorm.