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Baltej Pannu, AAP's media in-charge in Punjab, alleged that Mann was kept waiting at the airport under the pretext that his luggage was still arriving and being checked. “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',” Pannu said in a statement.

He further claimed that officials approached Mann just as he was about to leave the airport after loading his luggage into a vehicle. “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',” Pannu alleged.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also alleged that Mann was made to wait at the airport after travelling to Paris to promote Punjab's products. In a post on X, Bharadwaj said the chief minister's visit came after he challenged the Centre's decision to deny him political clearance for the trip. “Mann Saab stopped at Indian Airport for around 3 hours. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann went to Paris to launch Punjab’s products at Paris. This was after he challenged Centre’s not granting him the NOC. This arrogance of Centre must end. Even Ravan’s arrogance ended on Dussehra.," Saurabh Bharadwaj said in the post.

According to the AAP leader, officials subsequently issued a challan of Rs 50,000. He argued that their alleged admission of pressure indicated that the episode had been carried out under instructions from higher authorities. “Has any chief minister of an Indian state ever been detained at an airport for three hours in this manner? Has any chief minister of a state ever been disrespected by being issued a challan of Rs 50,000?” Pannu asked, calling the incident an insult to Punjab.