Ashwani Kumar Mishra Appointment Sparks AAP-Centre Tussle
Chandigarh: Signs of a fresh tussle between the Punjab government and the Centre have emerged over the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the new Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema questioned the appointment process at a press conference in Jalandhar, alleging that the prescribed procedure concerning the views and consent of the state government was not followed.
The Centre notified Justice Mishra’s appointment as Chief Justice on September 5, 2026. Earlier, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended his name on August 6. Justice Mishra had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court since June 2026.
Cheema Questions Appointment Procedure
Cheema described the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice as a sensitive constitutional matter. He said the prescribed process should include the views and consent of the concerned state government.
He alleged that the process was overlooked in Justice Mishra’s case and questioned the Centre’s handling of the appointment, linking it to what he described as the disregard of Punjab and its interests.
Bhagwant Mann Calls Emergency Cabinet Meeting
Following Cheema’s remarks, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called an emergency Cabinet meeting at 4 pm on Sunday.
The meeting is expected to discuss the appointment process and the role of the state government in the matter.
Cheema Cites Justice GS Sandhawalia Case
The Punjab Finance Minister also referred to the appointment of Justice GS Sandhawalia while questioning the Centre’s approach.
According to Cheema, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Sandhawalia for appointment as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on July 11, 2024. The Collegium later changed its recommendation in September 2024 and proposed his appointment as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Cheema claimed that the Madhya Pradesh appointment had not received approval for more than two months and cited the episode while questioning the current process.
