New Delhi, October 21, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was allegedly made to wait for around three hours at Delhi Airport after returning from France and was issued a ₹50,000 challan, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed. The party has alleged that the incident was politically motivated, but the official reason for the reported delay and fine has not been publicly clarified.
Mann returned from Paris after leading a Punjab government delegation connected to the participation of the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (MARKFED) in SIAL 2026, an international food trade exhibition.
AAP Alleges Three-Hour Wait at Delhi Airport
Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu alleged that Mann was made to wait at the airport for approximately three hours after his arrival from France.
According to Pannu, officials cited repeated baggage checks and other procedural reasons before allowing the chief minister to leave. The circumstances surrounding the reported delay have not been independently established.
₹50,000 Challan Allegedly Issued
AAP has also claimed that a ₹50,000 challan was issued to Mann after he was cleared to leave the airport.
However, the party has not provided a definitive explanation of the formal grounds for the alleged fine. A detailed clarification from the airport authorities was not available in the reports cited.
AAP Claims Officials Faced ‘Pressure From Above’
Pannu alleged that airport officials told the chief minister’s team they were under “tremendous pressure from above.”
AAP has used the allegation to accuse the Centre of deliberately creating difficulties for the Punjab government. These claims remain unverified, and no official explanation establishing the circumstances of the incident has been made public.
France Visit Linked to SIAL 2026
Mann’s visit to France was connected to MARKFED’s participation in SIAL 2026, an international food trade exhibition scheduled from October 17 to October 21.
The Punjab government presented the visit as an opportunity to promote the state’s agricultural and food products, explore international business opportunities and attract potential investment.
Visit Followed Court Intervention Over Political Clearance
Mann’s overseas trip had already become a political issue after the Centre initially denied political clearance for his visit.
The Punjab government challenged the decision before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following which the visit was allowed to proceed. The dispute added to tensions between the AAP-led state government and the Centre over permissions for official foreign travel.
AAP Links Airport Episode to Centre-State Tensions
AAP leaders have linked the alleged airport incident to broader disagreements between the Punjab government and the Centre, including foreign travel permissions, the state’s financial demands and the handling of farmers’ protests.
The party has accused the central government of creating obstacles for Mann during official engagements. However, the allegations of political interference have not been independently verified.
Official Explanation Awaited
At the time of the reports, airport authorities had not issued a detailed public explanation for the alleged three-hour wait or the reported ₹50,000 challan.
As a result, the central claims about the delay, fine and alleged political pressure remain based primarily on statements by AAP representatives.
Incident Adds to Political Row
The controversy has intensified the political friction between the AAP-led Punjab government and the Centre. AAP leaders have described the alleged episode as an attempt to humiliate the chief minister, while the circumstances behind the reported action remain unclear.
An official clarification would be necessary to establish the reason for the delay and the basis of the alleged fine.
Source: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, NDTV, PTI
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