Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi defends choice of Cabinet, top law officer APS Deol

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Khatkar Kalan, September 28

Even as the appointment of former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini’s advocate APS Deol as Attorney General has snowballed into a major political controversy, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi tried to defend the move, saying all lawyers take up cases as a part of their professional duty.

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Speaking on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at his ancestral Khatkar Kalan village, Channi asserted his government had taken a right decision with Deol’s appointment. “He might have been previous DGP or a suspended IG’s counsel, but now he will be a part of the government. I am confident he will serve the state government dutifully in his new assignment,” he said.

He had also been a lawyer for former CM Capt Amarinder Singh for 20 years, including for the cases lodged against him during the tenure of the Badals, he added.

Speaker Rana KP Singh, who accompanied the CM, too, defended Deol’s appointment. “As a senior lawyer, Deol’s clients could have been hundreds of people, including the former DGP and the former IG. I think the controversy is uncalled for.”

Minutes after defending Deol, Channi also posted a photograph with the new A-G on Twitter, saying: “Congratulations to Amar Preet Singh Deol for being appointed as the Advocate General of Punjab. I am sure that your legal acumen and expertise will help Punjab in getting its due. (sic).”

The tweet invited him a lot of criticism, with people questioning him as to how anyone could expect a logical conclusion to the 2015 sacrilege and firing incident when the new A-G is the lawyer of the accused.

Channi was quizzed over the selection of Rana Gurjeet Singh and Gurkirat Singh Kotli in the Cabinet, he defended the move saying, “There is nothing against both of them now.”

Visits martyr’s ancestral house

“As CM, I will always act believing Bhagat Singh is watching me,” wrote CM Charanjit Singh Channi on the visitors’ diary at the memorial to the martyr at his ancestral Khatkar Kalan village on Tuesday. The CM, accompanied by Speaker Rana KP Singh, Cabinet ministers Rana Gurjeet Singh and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, also visited his ancestral house. The CM bowed his head in reverence before entering the house. He felicitated relatives of the martyr and distributed 31 sports kits among the youth and sports club.

Gandhis fly shortly before Capt Amarinder Singh

A short while before ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh arrived at Chandigarh airport to catch a flight to Delhi, Cong chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi left in a private jet for national capital.