Raising questions over Chief Justice’s appointment unwarranted, says Punjab BJP

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (IANS) Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday termed the questions being raised by the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state over the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the full-time Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as “unwarranted”.

Dhillon said that the appointment process of the Chief Justice has been carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions and the memorandum of procedure, and that instead of giving the matter a political colour, the facts need to be understood.

In a statement, Dhillon said that after the recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium, the governments of Punjab and Haryana were asked to convey their views on August 10 as per the prescribed procedure. He said that the Haryana government and the Governors of both states had given their consent, while the Punjab government failed to submit its response within the stipulated time.

The BJP leader said that as per the rules, if the government concerned does not convey its views within the prescribed period, it is treated as consent. Therefore, questioning the constitutional process of the appointment at this stage is not logical. He alleged that the Punjab government’s tendency to keep important government files pending is affecting administrative and constitutional processes.

He said that any unnecessary delay in matters concerning the judiciary is not in the interest of the effective functioning of institutions.

Dhillon said that respecting the independence of the judiciary and the constitutional process is the responsibility of every government. He said that the Chief Minister of Punjab and other ministers challenging the independence of the judiciary is highly condemnable. Instead of creating a political controversy, the Punjab government should respect the constitutional process and the established rules.

–IANS

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