Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday, 23 October 2026, told the Punjab Assembly that he was detained for two hours by officials at Delhi airport upon his return from France and was asked to pay an alleged arbitrary challan of ₹50,000 — even though nothing objectionable was found in his belongings. Mann also said the Centre had earlier denied him permission for the France trip, forcing him to approach the High Court.

What Happened at Delhi Airport

Addressing the Assembly, Mann said he complied fully with a baggage inspection on his return. '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,' he said. He alleged that officials then demanded he leave something behind, and when he refused, they levied what he called an arbitrary ₹50,000 challan. The Chief Minister said officials justified it by saying it was 'a matter of their jobs being lost.'

The France Trip and the High Court Order

Mann explained the backdrop to the detention, saying he had been invited to attend the world's second-largest food fair in France, where Markfed's SOHNA had set up a stall. He said approximately 150 stalls from India were present, and that other state governments had invited him to visit their stalls. 'I was not given permission by the Centre, so I approached the High Court. The High Court directed that protocol be provided to me,' he said. Mann referenced earlier foreign visits to Japan, Korea, and Germany, crediting them with attracting companies such as CLAAS to set up projects in Punjab.

Mann's Allegation Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

In a sharp escalation, Mann alleged a direct personal link between the airport episode and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. He claimed that Manish, the head of Customs at Delhi airport, is the brother of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. 'This is how these people take revenge, targeting individuals anywhere,' he said. The allegation, if verified, would raise serious conflict-of-interest questions; however, Mann did not provide documentary evidence during his Assembly address, and the CEC's office had not responded to the claims at the time of reporting.

Broader Concerns About the Election Commission

Mann used the occasion to raise what he described as a wider pattern of power concentration within the Election Commission. He alleged that fellow Election Commissioners were not being consulted on key decisions by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying, 'Even the Election Commission has said that they're not being consulted; they make decisions on their own.' He also alleged that the BJP government had invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against a female student in alleged violation of Supreme Court directions — citing it as part of what he characterised as a pattern of political retaliation against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government.

Political Context and What Comes Next

This is not the first time the AAP-governed Punjab has publicly clashed with the Centre over protocol and permissions. The detention episode comes at a time of heightened friction between the Union government and several Opposition-run states over administrative and security arrangements for chief ministers. Mann's Assembly statement is likely to intensify demands from the Opposition for an inquiry into both the airport detention and the alleged conduct of the CEC. The government has not yet responded officially to Mann's claims, and all allegations remain unverified beyond his Assembly address.