Chandigarh: Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was on Monday sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, even as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained conspicuously absent from the ceremony amid an escalating confrontation between the state government and the Centre over his appointment.
The oath was administered by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at a formal ceremony here attended by judges of the High Court, senior officials and members of the legal fraternity, besides Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh.
The absence of the Punjab Chief Minister and his entire Cabinet, however, drew attention as it came barely a day after the Cabinet passed a resolution objecting to Justice Mishra’s appointment and sought that the swearing-in be put on hold.
The Punjab government has maintained that the Centre proceeded with the appointment without waiting for the state’s views. It had urged the President, the Prime Minister and the Governor to defer the appointment and administration of oath, alleging that the established procedure requiring consultation with the state government had not been followed.
The Centre, however, has maintained that the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice is governed by the memorandum of procedure and the constitutional mechanism for judicial appointments, and the concurrence of the state government is not mandatory.
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, had recommended Justice Mishra’s appointment on August 6.
Justice Mishra’s appointment had triggered an unusual political and constitutional controversy, with the Punjab government publicly questioning the manner in which the process was completed. The Cabinet’s resolution against the appointment was followed by CM Mann’s decision to stay away from the oath-taking ceremony.
Justice Mishra had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court since June 2 after the elevation of incumbent Chief Justice Sheel Nagu to the Supreme Court. He was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court from the Allahabad High Court in July 2025.
The episode has added a new dimension to the already strained relationship between the AAP-led government and the BJP-led Centre.
Born on November 16, 1968, Justice Mishra did a BA (Honours) in Economics from Kirori Mal College in the University of Delhi and obtained an LLB from the Campus Law Centre of the University of Delhi. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014, and became a permanent Judge on February 1, 2016. He served there till July 20, 2025, before being transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
(IANS)
