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CM Mann puts speculation to rest, says Ghai will take over as AG soon
Mann said that the AG (Ghai) is a very capable lawyer and will work in the best interest of the state. The CM had on Tuesday announced that Ghai is being appointed as the new AG in place of Anmol Rattan Sidhu who had tendered his resignation
Chandigarh : Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday dismissed speculation over the delay in the official notification for the appointment of senior advocate Vinod Ghai as the new advocate general of Punjab, stating that he will take over soon.
Mann said that the AG (Ghai) is a very capable lawyer and will work in the best interest of the state. The CM had on Tuesday announced that Ghai is being appointed as the new AG in place of Anmol Rattan Sidhu who had tendered his resignation.
The delay in the notification, however, triggered speculation about disagreements in the ruling dispensation over the choice of the new advocate general. Replying to a question from reporters, Mann denied any differences between him and any party leader. All these rumours were being spread by the opposition parties as part of their efforts to thwart the growing popularity of the AAP in other states, the CM said after the cabinet meeting here.
Mann also hit out at Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief and Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann for calling Bhagat Singh a “terrorist” and stated that the legendary freedom fighter will always remain an ideal for the youth. “Who are they to say that somebody was a terrorist? Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh attained martyrdom at the age of 23 years. He is an ideal for the youth and will always remain so,” he said, criticizing the SAD (Amritsar) chief for the “shameful” remark.
SAD lashed out at govt
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab for the proposed appointment of Vinod Ghai as Punjab advocate general.
“The decision to appoint Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim’s lawyer Vinod Ghai as the new AG of Punjab has exposed the conspiracy politics of the AAP,” said party’s general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhundar.
Bar council backs govt decision
Amid controversy over the Punjab government’s decision to appoint Vinod Ghai as the advocate general, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday said that lawyers should not be targeted for the clients they represent.
A statutory body with one lakh members in two states and Chandigarh said that it has become a common practice across the socio-political spectrum to speculate, malign, ridicule and cast aspersions on members of bar only for the reason that they represent/once represented clients who do not find favour in opinions or discourse. “Morally associating lawyers with their briefs/clients, whom they represent, is beyond logical parlance. A lawyer is a patriot in pursuit of justice, confined to his brief/client only to the extent he represents such interest in courts and this allegiance, by itself, must not be construed as having personal affection beyond brief,” said BCPH chairman Suvir Sidhu. Suvir is son of outgoing AG Anmol Rattan Sidhu.
