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Confusion prevails over ‘resignation’ of Punjab advocate general APS Deol
Appointed on September 27 after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as chief minister in the wake of Amarinder Singh’s ouster, Deol’s appointment had come under severe criticism with Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu even tendering his resignation.
Confusion prevailed on Monday after senior officials in the Punjab chief minister’s office (CMO) said that advocate general APS Deol tendered his resignation while the latter denied the move.
Appointed on September 27 after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as chief minister in the wake of Amarinder Singh’s ouster, Deol’s appointment had come under severe criticism with Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu even tendering his resignation.
“I met the chief minister since the cabinet was to hold a meeting. This probably led to the speculations. I have neither been asked to resign nor I have I done on my volition,” Deol said.
Channi, who was questioned about the development after the cabinet meeting, ducked the query. Earlier, Deol did not attend calls for nearly five hours after senior officials “confirmed” the senior lawyer having put in his papers.
Soon after Deol’s appointment in September, Sidhu resigned from his post opposing his appointment and that of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as director general of police (DGP). Sidhu has been adamant on his replacement and conveyed the same to the Congress high command.
Deol, 61, had shot into limelight earlier this year when he secured bail of former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini who was arrested by the vigilance bureau in a 2020 criminal case. Deol had also appeared for Saini, among other accused, in the 2015 post-sacrilege violence cases in the high court.
This became the reason for the criticism of the government following his appointment. Several Sikh organisations had also opposed his appointment saying a person who defended those accused in sacrilege cases could not be appointed as AG.
To counter the criticism, Deol brought in criminal lawyer Rajwinder Singh Bains as special public prosecutor to defend these cases. However, this move also ran into controversy as Bains in the past had appeared for one complainant in sacrilege cases. Last week, the government had to give an undertaking to the high court that Bains will not appear in post-sacrilege violence cases till November 23.
