Punjab CM alleges he was made to sit at Delhi airport, officials told him they were “under pressure from above”

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. File

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday (October 23, 2026) alleged that on his way back from his recent tour to France, he was made to sit at Delhi airport for two hours, where officials told him they were “under pressure from above”.

Alleging that he was facing political retaliation by the BJP-led Centre through government agencies, he said he was first denied permission by the Centre for his recent visit to France and, on his return, was detained for two hours by officials at Delhi airport and asked to pay an arbitrary ₹50,000 challan despite nothing objectionable being found in his belongings.

Speaking during the special session of the State Assembly here, Mr. Mann said: “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. 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.”

“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,” he said.

He added, “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.”

The House passed a resolution for an independent probe into alleged irregularities surrounding electoral processes and the functioning of the Election Commission of India. Mr. Mann demanded the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling for an impartial investigation into the process. He alleged the BJP was manipulating electoral rolls in the name of the Election Commission by adding votes in its favour and deleting those of the Opposition, and claimed that elections in Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana and Maharashtra had been won through vote theft.

Meanwhile, noisy scenes were witnessed in the Punjab Assembly as Congress MLAs stormed the well of the House, demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister, blaming the government for failing to tackle law and order, curb drugs and rein in gangsterism. Congress members staged a walkout as they continued to protest.