Why was Punjab CM ₹50,000 at Delhi airport? '₹2.5-lakh shoes, suits' — AAP, BJP in war of words

PUNJAB Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was reportedly stopped at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Wednesday and fined ₹50,000 by Customs officials after returning from Paris.

Mann went to Paris after the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed a state government plea challenging the Centre's "arbitrary" decision denying him political clearance for the visit.

Mann participated in SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade exhibition being held from October 17 to 21.

Why was Bhagwant Mann stopped and fined at Delhi airport?

Sources told NDTV that Bhagwant Mann was fined ₹50,000 over alleged undeclared goods as he returned from France on Tuesday night.

The fine was levied by the Customs Duty Department over what they call undeclared luxury goods, sources were quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged in an X post that CM Bhagwant Mann was "forcefully" stopped at the Delhi airport and made to wait for three hours.

An AAP leader claimed that officials cited "tremendous pressure from above" for the action.

Punjab AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu said, “CM [Bhagwant Mann] was made to wait three hours at the airport and fined ₹50,000 under pressure."

The party did not say why Mann was detained or fined. However, Pannu linked the incident to the Centre's "repeated" denial of permission for Mann's foreign visits and alleged withholding of Punjab's funds and handling of the farmers' protest.

He was quoted by PTI as saying, "When Mann returned from Paris and arrived at the Delhi airport, he was deliberately detained for three hours."

"Excuses were made that 'your luggage is still arriving' 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 depart after placing his luggage in a vehicle, officials came running after him and said that they were under 'tremendous pressure from above'," he claimed.

"Then they issued a challan of ₹50,000. The officials themselves admitted that they were under pressure, which proves that the entire episode was carried out under orders from above," Pannu reportedly said.

He accused the Centre of creating "obstacles" in the path of Punjab's progress.

"Whether it is forcibly keeping farmers at Delhi's borders for one and a half years or withholding funds rightfully due to Punjab, the central government has constantly tried to choke Punjab at every level," Pannu claimed, as per PTI.

"So far, 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 claimed.

Bhagwant Mann 'humiliated'

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Wednesday that the Punjab CM was "humiliated at the Delhi airport and harassed for three hours. Even a fine of ₹50,000 was slapped on him."

He hit out at the Centre, saying the government "is now openly showing a stepmotherly attitude. BJP CMs go on foreign visits frequently. PM Modi visits foreign nations thrice a month... The government stops an elected CM who wants to visit Paris to promote agriculture products of his state. The central government bows to orders of the High Court.

'₹2.5-lakh shoes, suits worth lakhs of rupees': BJP slams Mann

The BJP claimed on Wednesday that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had been "caught" with undeclared expensive shoes, jewellery, designer suits and perfumes, and accused AAP of playing a false victim card over the incident.

Responding to the AAP's charge, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "Bhagwant Mann had gone to Paris for a vacation. He brought with him shoes worth ₹2.5 lakh, suits worth lakhs of rupees for his wife and expensive perfumes without declaring them to Customs."

"When his theft was caught at Customs, they are now trying to play a fake victim card," Bhandari said in a video message on X, adding, "When you engage in theft, as those in the Aam Aadmi Party do, that is bound to be discovered," he added.

Bhandari asked in his post on X, "Shoes worth ₹2.5 lakh. Perfumes worth lakhs. Expensive jewellery and designer suits. AAP must answer: why were these purchases not declared at Customs when its chief minister was enjoying a holiday in Paris at taxpayers' expense?"