Punjab Government Objects to Appointment of High Court Chief Justice
2 sources · India
Who reported this
- The Hindu
- The Indian Express
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution on September 6, 2026, requesting that the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court be put on hold. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sent letters to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to stop the oath ceremony, which is scheduled for September 7, 2026. The state government claims the appointment was made without obtaining its consent, which it describes as a violation of constitutional norms and the established Memorandum of Procedure.
Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain called the Punjab government's objection unfortunate and uncalled for. He stated that the Supreme Court collegium recommended the appointment on August 6 and that all state governments except Punjab provided their views within a week. Mr. Jain asserted that states do not hold veto power over these appointments and should not politicize a non political issue.
Chief Minister Mann linked this dispute to other grievances, including the withholding of a 9,000 crore rupee Rural Development Fund and a flood relief package. The Punjab government argues that the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs is required to obtain the views of the concerned state government after receiving recommendations from the Chief Justice of India. Justice Mishra has been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court since June.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The reporting framed the event as part of a broader pattern of the central government assaulting Punjab's rights and bypassing constitutional norms.
- Centre
- The reporting focused on the state government's demand to halt the appointment due to a lack of consent.
Sources
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