Punjab govt. objects to appointment of Ashwani Kumar Mishra as HC chief justice, asks Centre to stop oath ceremony

The Punjab government has objected to the Centre's notification of Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, claiming it was done without awaiting the state government's views, thereby bypassing constitutional norms and established procedures outlined in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to the President and Prime Minister, urging a halt to the oath ceremony. The Centre, through the Additional Solicitor General, countered that the state had sufficient time to respond and does not hold veto power over such appointments, which were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium a month prior. The dispute highlights tensions over Centre-State relations and the process of judicial appointments.