Chandigarh: On Monday, Punjab’s Advocate-General APS Deol handed over his resignation to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi.
State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had opposed the senior advocate’s appointment as he was at one time the counsel for two accused cops in a sacrilege and police firing case. It is also being said that the decision may be a result of frequent meetings between the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the Congress high command.
Deol’s appointment had triggered a debate within the party as well because he had represented former top cop Sumedh Singh Saini and Inspector General Paramraj Singh Umaranangal in relation to cases regarding incidents of sacrilege and subsequent police firing in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in 2015.
The cases are politically sensitive, and action on them was one of Congress’s pre-poll promises declared in their election manifesto. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was also criticised for allegedly stalling the case, a charge he denies. He then had to step down as Chief Minister following a rebellion from party MLAs regarding this, among other issues.
Deol was appointed after the post fell vacant following Atul Nanda’s resignation soon after Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down as Chief Minister.
Navjot Singh Sidhu has been demanding his replacement, along with that of Iqbal Singh Sahota, the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Punjab.
“Demand for Justice in Sacrilege cases and for the arrest of main culprits behind the drug trade brought our Govt in 2017 & Due to his failure, People removed the last CM. Now, AG / DG appointments rub salt on the wounds of victims, they must be replaced or we will have no face,” Mr Sidhu had tweeted on October 3.
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