Chandigarh, September 7-Punjab Bharariya Janata Party State President Kewal Singh Dhillon today termed the questions being raised by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government over the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the new Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as unwarranted.

He said that the appointment process of the Chief Justice has been carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions and the Memorandum of Procedure, and that instead of giving the matter a political colour, the facts need to be understood.

Kewal Singh Dhillon said that after the recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium, the governments of Punjab and Haryana were asked to convey their views on August 10 as per the prescribed procedure. He said that the Haryana Government and the Governors of both states had given their consent, while the Punjab Government failed to submit its response within the stipulated time.

The BJP leader said that as per the rules, if the concerned government does not convey its views within the prescribed period, it is treated as consent. Therefore, questioning the constitutional process of the appointment at this stage is not logical.

He alleged that the Punjab Government’s tendency to keep important government files pending is affecting administrative and constitutional processes. He said that any unnecessary delay in matters concerning the judiciary is not in the interest of the effective functioning of institutions.

Kewal Singh Dhillon said that respecting the independence of the judiciary and the5 constitutional process is the responsibility of every government. He said that the Chief Minister of Punjab and other ministers challenging the independence of the judiciary is highly condemnable. Instead of creating a political controversy, the Punjab Government should respect the constitutional process and the established rules.