Punjab government protests appointment of High Court Chief Justice

The Punjab government has called an emergency cabinet meeting to protest the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The state government claims the appointment was made by the central government based on Supreme Court Collegium recommendations without seeking the state's mandatory consultation, which they argue violates the Memorandum of Procedure and constitutional norms.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accused the central government of interfering in state rights. The cabinet has passed a resolution demanding that the appointment and swearing-in process be halted until the state's opinion is properly considered. This tension follows a recent ruling by Justice Mishra, who had directed the Punjab government to release pending Dearness Allowance (DA) for employees, a decision estimated to impose a financial burden of approximately 14,100 crore rupees on the state.