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Its Cong vs. Cong in Punjab on AG removal

IANS | November 11, 2021 09:48 AM

NEW DELHI:  Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari and party's former state chief Sunil Jakhar have targeted Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the removal of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol.

Sunil Jakhar called Channi "really compromised CM" and Manish Tewari, MP from Anandpur Sahib, also criticised the Channi government over politicising the AG's office.

Tewari said the previous Advocate Generals of the state became "punching bags in proxy political wars". He said, "Wish such politicians who perceive apolitical Constitutional functionaries as 'soft targets' to wage their proxy Warfare find a better way to do their politics.

"Since the Punjab government is going to appoint new advocate general, they would be well advised to peruse Rules of Professional Standards prescribed by Bar Council of India. An advocate is bound to accept any brief in the courts or tribunals or before any other authority in or before which he proposes to practise, " Tewari said.

Former state President Jhakhar, tweeted: "The ouster of a competent yet 'allegedly' compromised officer has exposed a 'really' compromised CM. Giving rise to a pertinent question -- Whose government is it anyway?"

The turf war between the Chief Minister Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu toned down after the removal of AG on Tuesday when the Punjab Cabinet accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol -- a decision that is seen in political circles as lessening the "friction" between Chani and Sidhu.

Sidhu had been demanding the replacement of Deol, who had represented former Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in cases related to the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing on protesters.

Channi said the Advocate General resigned a few days ago.

Earlier, Sidhu had tweeted: "Technically, any lawyer can become AG and any IPS officer can become DG but if we talk about morals and ethics of government, as we promised to the people of Punjab that we will give justice to them in sacrilege cases."

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