CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the 2022 Punjab elections, it was advantage Sidhu as Punjab chief minister, Charanjit Singh Channi formally announced the acceptance of resignation of APS Deol, Advocate General (AG) post a cabinet meeting at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
With the acceptance of Deol’s resignation, speculations doing the rounds point towards the end of a silent and bitter battle between CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Both CM Channi and Sidhu, however, did not take many questions from the media and left the press conference soon after. They also refrained from answering any questions related to the appointment of deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s son-in-law Tarun Vir Singh Lehal as assistant advocate general.
It is to be noted that Navjot Singh Sidhu has been questioning Deol’s appointment ever since he was given the charge of Advocate General. Deol was a counsel for the former director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini in the 2015 post sacrilege police firing incident.
APS Deol had replaced Atul Nanda who had submitted his resignation following the resignation of Amarinder Singh as the Punjab chief minister. A war of words had also broken out between Sidhu and Deol after the latter’s appointment. Sidhu has been targeting his own government over the appointments of Deol and Sahota.
While addressing the mediapersons, Transport Minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said, “The CM has the power to appoint and remove a candidate. This is a decision of the CM. I have nothing much to say in this case.”
Earlier, following the appointment of Punjab’s DGP and AG, Congress party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had resigned from the post on September 28.
Meanwhile, CM Channi, while addressing the media said that AG resigned a few days ago. “The cabinet today accepted the resignation of AG Deol. The resignation would now be sent to the state governor. The government will appoint a new AG soon,” CM said.
Ever since the former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh made an announcement to float his own party and declared that he is open to an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), changing political dynamics are at play ahead of the 2022 Assembly election in the state. Meanwhile, BJP’s age-old ally Shiromani Akali Dal appears to have found a new partner in the Aam Aadmi Party, which managed to win just 20 seats in the past elections. AAP is striving hard to become a major player in the state.
AAP national spokesperson, Punjab affairs co-incharge and MLA from Delhi, Raghav Chadha, meanwhile lashed out against the Punjab CM accusing him of disregarding the interests of the people of Punjab. “Why did the government not think of lakhs of unemployed people of the state before giving this appointment to the Deputy CM’s son-in-law?” he questioned.