- AAP alleges Punjab CM detained, fined Rs 50,000 at Delhi.
- AAP claims
- Centre earlier denied CM Mann political clearance for Paris.
- SAD leader claims CM questioned regarding excess luggage/money.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was detained for three hours at Delhi airport late on October 19 after returning from a food trade fair in Paris and was issued a challan of Rs 50,000.
AAP state media in-charge Baltej Pannu accused the BJP-led Centre of deliberately attempting to “humiliate” Mann and “undermine Punjab’s dignity” through the alleged incident.
Pannu claimed airport officials initially cited delays involving Mann’s luggage, saying it was still arriving or being checked. He alleged that the chief minister was allowed to leave only after three hours, when officials issued the challan.
AAP Claims Officials Cited ‘Pressure From Above’
Recounting the incident, Pannu alleged that Mann was about to leave after placing his luggage in his vehicle when officials approached him again.
“After three hours, when Mann ji was allowed to leave and was about to depart after placing his luggage in the vehicle, officials came running after him and said that they were under ‘tremendous pressure from above’. Then, they issued an absurd challan of Rs 50,000,” Pannu said, as reported by The Times of India.
He described the alleged episode as a direct attack on Punjab’s identity and dignity, claiming it had been carried out under instructions from higher authorities.
Pannu did not specify why the Rs 50,000 fine was imposed. The allegations were made by the AAP leader, and the account provided did not include a response from the airport authorities or the Centre.
Centre’s Denial Of Political Clearance For Paris Visit
The controversy has added to the ongoing dispute between the AAP-led Punjab government and the Centre over Mann’s visit to France.
The Centre had denied political clearance for the Paris trip, prompting the Punjab government to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court subsequently set aside the decision, observing that the Centre “had not explained what that political angle/viewpoint is”.
Pannu claimed that the High Court had directed that Mann be accorded due protocol during his visit. However, he alleged that even the Consul General in Paris did not meet the chief minister.
Questioning the treatment allegedly meted out to Mann on his return, Pannu asked whether a chief minister had ever been detained at an airport for three hours and issued a challan of Rs 50,000.
He claimed the incident was linked to Mann’s position as Punjab chief minister and his efforts to improve the state.
AAP Alleges Repeated Denial Of Overseas Clearances
Pannu further alleged that the Centre had denied Mann political clearance to travel abroad on four occasions. He claimed the BJP-led government was concerned that overseas visits by the Punjab chief minister could help attract investment and funds to the state.
“The Modi govt fears that if the CM travels abroad, he will bring investment and funds from there and put Punjab on the path of progress,” Pannu said.
The allegations form part of the wider political dispute over the Centre’s role in granting clearances for overseas visits by state chief ministers.
SAD Leader Raises Questions Over Luggage Checks
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia also commented on the episode, citing information he attributed to sources.
In a post on X, Majithia claimed that Mann and his wife had been questioned for hours over allegations that they were carrying more luggage or money than permitted. He said they were reportedly unable to provide an explanation and were eventually allowed to leave, considering Mann’s position as chief minister.
Majithia further claimed that instructions had been issued to verify the bags of the entire Chief Minister’s Office staff.
The claims by AAP and Majithia have put the alleged airport detention and fine at the centre of a fresh political confrontation. However, the reason for the reported challan and the circumstances surrounding the alleged detention remain unclear from the accounts provided.
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