Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday alleged that he was made to sit for two hours at Delhi airport upon his return from a tour of France, where customs officials told him they were "under pressure from above" before asking him to pay an arbitrary Rs 50,000 challan, even though nothing objectionable was found in his belongings.
Speaking during the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the second day of its proceedings, Mann alleged that he was facing political retaliation by the BJP-led Centre through government agencies. He linked the episode to the Aam Aadmi Party's demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, describing the airport action as revenge for his party's stand against the CEC.
"I was not given permission by the Centre, so I approached the High Court. The High Court directed that the protocol be provided to me," Mann said, referring to his visit to France. "While I was returning, I was asked to sit at Delhi Airport for two hours. I asked them to follow the protocol. Chief Ministers from all states are received through a protocol as well."
He added: "They asked me to have my belongings checked, and I complied with the inspection. Nothing objectionable was found among my belongings. After two hours, they asked me to leave. They told me that they were under pressure from above. They asked me to leave something or the other with them. They asked for us to pay an arbitrary challan of Rs 50,000 as it was a matter of their jobs being lost."
The most politically charged part of his speech came when he named the customs establishment at Delhi airport: "Who is the head of Customs at Delhi airport? Manish, the brother of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This is how these people take revenge, targeting individuals anywhere."
Mann was participating in a debate on an official resolution concerning the Election Commission. The Punjab Assembly on Friday passed the resolution, seeking an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities concerning electoral processes and the functioning of the Election Commission under CEC Kumar.
The controversy stems from Mann's return from Paris earlier this week. According to reports, customs officials inspected the baggage of the Chief Minister and his wife Gurpreet Kaur and imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000. The Aam Aadmi Party had claimed on Sunday that Mann was detained at the airport upon his return and fined Rs 50,000, with officials citing tremendous pressure from above.
Mann on Friday repeated the charge on the floor of the House, saying he was taken aside along with his delegation and made to wait for two hours.
Mann had travelled to Paris after the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed a state government plea challenging the Centre's decision denying him political clearance for the visit. He described that denial as arbitrary. The purpose of the visit, according to his government, was to promote the state's agricultural produce at SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade exhibition held from October 17 to 21.
Mann said he was leading a Punjab government delegation promoting products such as kidney beans and chickpeas at the event.
The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the Chief Minister's allegations. Punjab BJP state general secretary Anil Sarin challenged Mann to explain why the Customs Department had fined him and demanded that he make the receipt public.
Sarin questioned what the Chief Minister had brought back from abroad that prompted the department to take action, and said Mann could not evade accountability by claiming that the head of the customs department at Delhi airport was the CEC's brother. BJP-linked social media accounts have separately claimed that designer shoes, a belt and other expensive accessories were found in the luggage.
The exchange in the Vidhan Sabha went beyond the airport incident. Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the National Democratic Alliance would form the government in Punjab, Mann said the decision would rest with the people of the state.
He also addressed the drug issue, alleging that the biggest drug cartels had flourished in Punjab during the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government from 2007 to 2017, while the BJP claimed it could dismantle the illicit drug trade within two years of coming to power. Referring to Shah's statement on the seizure of narcotics worth Rs 20,000 crore at ports, Mann said the AAP had maintained that drugs entered the country through ports under the control of the Union government.
The airport allegation adds a new front to the ongoing confrontation between the AAP and the BJP over the Election Commission. Earlier this month, protests demanding the CEC's resignation were held in Delhi, where AISA national president Neha Bora was detained during a protest at Mandi House on October 16. On Friday, the Delhi High Court dismissed her petition challenging a peace bond notice arising from that detention.
Farm organisations have also written to the President demanding the CEC's removal.
At the heart of Mann's charge is a claim about the relationship between a senior customs official and the CEC — a claim the BJP has not directly addressed in the responses reported so far, choosing instead to demand disclosure of the penalty receipt and an explanation of the customs action.
The assembly resolution passed on Friday seeks an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in electoral processes and the functioning of the Election Commission under Kumar, signalling that the political battle around the poll body is set to intensify.
For the AAP, the incident has become part of a larger narrative of central agencies being used against the party's leadership. The BJP, in turn, has framed Mann's allegations as an attempt to evade accountability over a customs penalty.
With neither side producing primary documentation in the public domain so far — the penalty receipt has not been published, and the customs department has not issued a statement — the facts of what happened at the airport remain contested, resting for now on Mann's account on the floor of the Assembly and the BJP's counter-questions.
(Reporting based on The Hindu, The Tribune and ThePrint.)