Opposition parties on Monday slammed the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab for objecting to the appointment of Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, saying constitutional processes cannot be held hostage to AAP's politics.
Justice Mishra was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court here on Monday, a day after the AAP government objected to his appointment and urged the Centre to stop the oath-taking ceremony.
The Centre notified Justice Mishra's appointment on Saturday, about a month after the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his elevation.
Punjab government objects to Justice Mishra's appointment
On Sunday, the state cabinet passed a resolution, asking the Centre not to move forward with the administration of oath to Justice Mishra till the state government's concerns are adequately addressed. The opposition alleged that it was an attempt to undermine the judiciary.
The Mann government claimed that the appointment of Mishra as the chief justice of the high court was done without awaiting the state government's views bypassing Constitutional norms and set procedures.
Opposition leaders criticise Mann government's stand
Reacting to it, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, criticised the Mann government's stand and its decision to stay away from the oath ceremony. He said such conduct sends an unfortunate message about the government's attitude towards an independent judiciary.
"The Punjab government was given an opportunity to convey its views on the Collegium's recommendation. The Union Law Ministry communicated the recommendation to Punjab on August 12, yet the state government did not convey its views before the appointment was notified. Instead of responding within the constitutional process, the Mann government chose confrontation," Bajwa said in a statement here.
He said the controversy should not be allowed to become an attempt to "intimidate or undermine the judiciary."
Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh too lashed out at the AAP government.
"Constitutional processes cannot be held hostage to AAP's politics. The Supreme Court Collegium followed the prescribed process, sought Punjab's views and the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court was made by the President of India," said Chugh in a post on X.
Akali leader Bikram Majithia calls resolution a 'direct threat'
Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, while condemning the AAP government's stand on the appointment of Justice Mishra, said the resolution passed by the Punjab Cabinet is not ordinary but a "direct threat to one of the country's High Courts".
Majithia said several chief ministers had completed their terms before this, and that he himself had served as a minister in the government of Parkash Singh Badal. However, he said, he had never seen or heard of a government making such comments or attempting to "exert pressure" over the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice or judges.