Why was Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann fined ₹50,000 at Delhi airport? ‘₹2.5 shoes, suits’ — AAP, BJP in war of words | Today’s news
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was reportedly stopped at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Wednesday and fined. ₹50,000 customs officials after returning from Paris.
Mann left for Paris after the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed the state government’s plea challenging the Centre’s “arbitrary” decision to deny him political permission to visit.
Mann attended SIAL Paris 2026, an international food exhibition that runs from October 17 to 21.
Why was Bhagwant Mann stopped and fined at Delhi airport?
Sources told NDTV that Bhagwant Mann has been fined ₹50,000 for alleged undeclared goods when he was returning from France on Tuesday evening.
The fine was imposed by the customs department for what they call undeclared luxury goods, sources said.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed in an X post that CM Bhagwant Mann was “forcefully” stopped at the Delhi airport and made to wait for three hours.
The AAP leader alleged that officials had cited “tremendous pressure from above” for the event.
Punjab, AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu said, “The CM (Bhagwant Mann) had to wait for three hours at the airport and was fined. ₹50,000 under pressure.”
The party did not say why Mann was detained or fined. Pannu, however, linked the incident to the Centre’s “repeated” denial of permission to Mann’s foreign visits and alleged withholding of Punjab’s funds and handling of farmers’ protest.
According to PTI, he said, “When Mann returned from Paris and reached the Delhi airport, he was deliberately detained for three hours.”
“The excuses were made that ‘your luggage is still coming’ and ‘your luggage is still being checked’. These were outright lies and an insult to Punjab,” Pannu said.
“After three hours, when Mann was allowed to leave and was about to leave after placing his luggage in the vehicle, the officials came running to him and said they were under ‘tremendous pressure from above,'” he claimed.
“Then they issued a challan of ₹50,000. The officials themselves have admitted that they were under pressure, which proves that the entire episode was done on orders from above,” Pannu was quoted as saying.
He accused the Center of creating “hurdles” in the way of Punjab’s progress.
“Whether it is forcefully keeping farmers at the Delhi border for one-and-a-half years or rightfully withholding funds because of Punjab, the central government has constantly tried to suffocate Punjab at all levels,” Pannu alleged, according to PTI.
“Until now, permission for Mann’s foreign visits has been denied at least four times because the Modi government fears that if the CM travels abroad, he will bring investment and funds from there and put Punjab on the path of progress,” he said.
Bhagwant Mann “humiliated”
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Wednesday that the Punjab CM was “humiliated, harassed for three hours at the Delhi airport. ₹He was tapped for 50,000.”
He attacked the Center and said the government “is now openly showing a patronizing attitude. BJP CMs go on foreign visits frequently. PM Modi visits foreign nations thrice a month…Government stops CM-elect who wants to visit Paris to promote his state’s agricultural products. Central government bows to Supreme Court orders.”
‘ ₹2.5-lakh shoes, suits value crores of rupees: BJP criticizes Mann
The BJP on Wednesday claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was “caught” with undeclared expensive shoes, jewellery, designer suits and perfumes and accused the AAP of playing a false victim over the incident.
Reacting to AAP’s allegations, BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “Bhagwant Mann has gone to Paris on holiday. He brought with him shoes worth ₹2.5 million, suits worth crores of rupees for his wife and expensive perfumes without declaring them to customs.”
“When his theft was caught at the customs, he is now trying to play the fake victim card,” Bhandari said in a video message on X, adding, “When you engage in theft as the Aam Aadmi Party members do, it is bound to be exposed,” he added.
In his post on X, Bhandari asked, “Shoes worth ₹2.5 million. Perfumes worth millions. Expensive jewelry and designer suits. The AAP has to answer: why were these purchases not declared to customs when its chief minister was enjoying a holiday in Paris at taxpayers’ expense?
(With input from agencies)
