Chandigarh, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Cabinet Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday questioned the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that the Punjab Government was not consulted before the appointment was finalised.
Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, Cheema, accompanied by AAP leader Taranpreet Singh Sunny, said the manner in which the appointment was made raised concerns over the constitutional role of the elected state government and the federal structure.
“The manner in which this appointment has been made raises serious questions about the Centre’s respect for Punjab’s constitutional rights and the federal structure of the country. The Punjab Government was not given an opportunity to present its views before the appointment was finalised,” Cheema said.
He referred to the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing such appointments and said communications from Punjab Governor to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann dated August 12, 2026, as well as a communication from Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, had referred to the relevant procedure.
Cheema argued that the Punjab Government’s views should have been considered before the appointment and said the issue went beyond the individual appointment to the constitutional rights of the state.
He also questioned the handling of an earlier recommendation concerning Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, then the senior-most judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Cheema said the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Sandhawalia for appointment as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in July 2024, but the recommendation remained pending for more than two months before Sandhawalia was subsequently appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Cheema asked why Sandhawalia’s Madhya Pradesh appointment had been delayed while Justice Mishra’s appointment was processed without consultation with Punjab.
“If the State’s views are part of the prescribed procedure, why was Punjab’s elected government not consulted?” he asked, asserting that the Chief Minister represented the mandate of three crore Punjabis.
Cheema also alleged that the BJP had an “anti-Punjab mindset” and was denying the state its “rightful role” in the appointment process. He said Punjab would oppose any attempt to undermine its constitutional rights and the federal structure.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has convened an emergency Cabinet meeting at 4 p.m. on Sunday to discuss the appointment, Cheema said.
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