After the resignation of Advocate General (AG) Anmol Ratan Sidhu, Advocate Vinod Ghai has been appointed as the new Advocate General of Punjab. Now, the opposition has shown strong demur over this appointment. Baljit Singh Daduwal, president of Behbal Insaaf Morcha and Haryana SGPC, expressed, “Why is the advocate, who fought the case of Deramukhi Ram Rahim, appointed as AG?” He pointed out that Ghai has previously also advocated the cases of a minister and a police officer trapped in the scams of the Congress government. “In such a situation, with the appointment of Ghai, the hope of justice in this case has ended,” he stated.
The members of Behbal Insaf Morcha objected to the appointment of Advocate Vinod Ghai as the new AG, stating that the Punjabis are demanding justice in the Bargadi sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing case.
Karan Sukhraj Singh, son of Bahbal Khurd resident Krishna Bhagwan Singh, a casualty in the Behbal Kalan firing case, said that Ghai had earlier been fighting the case on behalf of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the Panchkula court.
Ghai is the fifth AG to be appointed in Punjab in the past 10 months. Previously, Anmol Ratan Sidhu became the AG in March. Although he says that he has resigned due to personal reasons, sources say that Sidhu had many differences with the government on several matters. It is being said that the dispute was regarding the appointment of law officers in the main AG office.
The Central SC Commission had asked the government to give reservation on this matter. However, Sidhu said that instead of reservation, ability should be seen. The state government had gone to the High Court against the order of the SC Commission, and then suddenly the government withdrew the petition.
The opposition strongly opposed the decision of the Mann government. After this, the government had to take a U-turn. At the same time, the government has had to face a lot of disappointment in the sacrilege cases of 2015.
Senior SAD leader Dr. Daljit Cheema alleged that there is pressure from Delhi on the Mann government. Chief Secretary Anirudh Tiwari, then DGP VK Bhanwra, and now Advocate General, have resigned. He said that pressure was put on the officers to implement the orders of Arvind Kejriwal.