Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Fined ₹50,000 After Return from France, AAP Alleges Harassment
NEW DELHI, India — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was allegedly held for three hours at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after returning from France and fined ₹50,000, according to Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), triggering a political dispute over the treatment of the state leader.
AAP accused the central government of political retaliation, while Indian media reports citing airport customs officials said the charge was imposed after undeclared items were found in the luggage of Mann and his companions.
Baltej Pannu, AAP’s Punjab media in-charge, alleged in a video posted on X that Mann was deliberately humiliated at the airport under directions from the central government. Pannu said Mann had traveled to Paris to showcase Punjab’s products at a major food festival after obtaining permission from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following a lack of approval from the central government.
Pannu also alleged that India’s consul general in Paris did not welcome Mann despite a court-directed protocol. After Mann returned to India, officials allegedly kept him at the airport for about three hours over scrutiny of his luggage before issuing a ₹50,000 penalty as he was preparing to leave.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj criticized the alleged treatment and questioned the central government’s conduct.
However, NDTV, citing Delhi airport customs officials, reported that customs duty of ₹ 50,000 was levied under the rules after undeclared items were found in the luggage of Mann and his party members.
Bikram Singh Majithia, general secretary of the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal, said Mann and his wife were questioned over alleged violations involving luggage or the amount of money carried. Majithia maintained that the authorities acted because of an alleged breach of regulations, despite Mann’s official position.
The competing accounts have fueled a political row, with AAP describing the incident as targeted harassment and its critics framing the customs action as enforcement of the law.
