Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 37th Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday, September 7, despite strong opposition from the Punjab government over the procedure followed for his appointment.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath of office to Justice Mishra at Punjab Lok Bhawan in Chandigarh. The ceremony was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh, senior judicial officers and other officials. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his ministers, however, stayed away from the event. 

Punjab Government Had Opposed Appointment

The swearing-in came a day after the Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution opposing the Centre's decision to appoint Justice Mishra as Chief Justice.

The AAP government argued that Punjab's views were not obtained and considered before the appointment was finalised. The state sought a deferment of the oath ceremony until its concerns were addressed.

Mann had also written to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria over the issue. The Punjab government maintained that the appointment process did not follow the procedure prescribed under the Memorandum of Procedure for judicial appointments. 

Centre Rejects Punjab's Objections

The Centre has rejected the Punjab government's interpretation of the appointment process.

Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain described the state's objections as “unfortunate and uncalled for” and maintained that the prescribed procedure had been followed. He also argued that the state government's views do not amount to a veto over the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice. 

The dispute has therefore developed into a larger disagreement between the Punjab government and the Centre over the role of state governments in the appointment process for High Court chief justices.

Justice Mishra Had Been Acting Chief Justice

Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra had been functioning as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court since June 2, before his appointment as the regular Chief Justice.

The Supreme Court Collegium recommended his elevation in August. The Centre subsequently notified his appointment, following which the Punjab government intensified its objections.

Justice Mishra had earlier served as a judge of the Allahabad High Court before being transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where he joined in July 2025. He was enrolled as an advocate in 1993 and was designated a Senior Advocate in 2013.

Mann Skips Oath Ceremony

Mann's absence was particularly significant because the Punjab government had publicly opposed the appointment just one day earlier.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini attended the ceremony along with Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh. The presence of representatives from Haryana contrasted with the absence of Punjab's political executive.

Reports said the chair reserved for the Punjab Chief Minister remained vacant during the ceremony, underlining the disagreement between the state government and the Centre. (Hindustan Times)

Dispute Goes Beyond the Appointment

The controversy comes against the backdrop of continuing Centre-Punjab tensions over constitutional and administrative issues.

Punjab's government has argued that consultation with the state is an important part of the established process for appointments affecting its High Court. The Centre, on the other hand, maintains that the state can provide its views but does not possess a power to block or veto a judicial appointment.

The disagreement is now likely to remain a political and constitutional issue even after Justice Mishra's assumption of office.

Justice Mishra Takes Charge Amid Row

With Monday's oath ceremony, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has formally assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

His appointment has proceeded despite the Punjab Cabinet's request for a pause, leaving the underlying disagreement over the appointment process unresolved. The immediate focus will now shift to the functioning of the High Court under its new Chief Justice, while the political dispute between the Punjab government and the Centre continues. 

Congress, the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal have all sharpened their attacks on the Bhagwant Mann government, calling for Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Health Minister Balbir Singh to step down. With Assembly elections already looming over Punjab's political calendar, opposition parties are framing a simple question: if the Centre can remove its own minister over paper leak allegations, why can't Punjab do the same?

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring welcomed Pradhan's resignation as a victory for young people's struggle, and used the moment to demand that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Bains resign as well, arguing the same standard of accountability applied nationally should apply in Punjab. Warring listed a string of alleged paper leaks during the AAP government's tenure — covering a pharmacy recruitment exam, the Class 12 English exam, Group-B recruitment papers, the Naib Tehsildar recruitment exam, the Agriculture Officer recruitment exam, and a pharmacist recruitment exam conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. He alleged that whenever young people raised their voices against these irregularities, the Mann government responded with police batons rather than addressing their concerns, and recalled that senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia had once claimed a responsible minister would be forced to resign if exam papers leaked in Punjab. Warring said it has been six months since the Group-B paper leak with no accountability fixed, and warned that if the education minister doesn't resign, Congress would take to Punjab's streets the way protesters have in Delhi.

The BJP joined the push through Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who accused AAP and Arvind Kejriwal of double standards, asking why leaders who actively support student protests in Delhi stay silent on Punjab's own students. Sirsa also invoked CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke's past promise to raise his voice over any paper leak in Punjab, arguing the moment has come for that commitment to be honoured.

The Akali Dal took a similarly aggressive line, with its leaders arguing that AAP demands swift resignations whenever paper leaks occur in other states or at the Centre, while staying completely silent when its own state's exam system repeatedly fails. Akali MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the government of gambling with young people's futures, saying Punjab has seen six exam scandals in four and a half years, leaving roughly five lakh young people in limbo. She directly named Kejriwal and Mann in her criticism, arguing both bear full responsibility and should dismiss both the education and health ministers.

Congress and the Akali Dal separately pointed out that AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, have been visible at Delhi's Jantar Mantar protests criticising the Centre over the NEET paper leak, while remaining quiet on Punjab's own recruitment exam failures — a contrast opposition parties are using to accuse the party of applying one standard to itself and another to its rivals.

The Punjab government has not issued any official response to the resignation demands so far. With opposition pressure building from three directions simultaneously and elections approaching, the paper leak issue looks set to become a significant flashpoint in Punjab's political conversation in the days ahead.

Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for rail and road infrastructure projects worth ₹5,470 crore, including the redevelopment of 75 railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, and flagged off the Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi Sant Ravidas Express — a new direct rail link between two significant spiritual centres. He greeted the gathering in Punjabi, arrived wearing a green turban as a symbolic gesture toward the state's farming community, and interacted with Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Dass and schoolchildren before the train's flag-off.

The bulk of his speech, however, was aimed squarely at the AAP state government, which Modi accused of corruption, mounting debt, poor governance and deteriorating law and order, going as far as calling the party "kattar beiman" — staunchly dishonest — a pointed jab at AAP's own long-running "kattar imaandar" (staunchly honest) branding. He accused party leaders of facing corruption allegations themselves while lecturing citizens not to pay bribes, and argued that only a "double-engine" government, with the same party in power at the Centre and the state, could deliver the security and development Punjab needed.

Modi didn't stop at AAP. He also criticised the Congress for being consumed by internal infighting rather than governance — a reference that lands squarely amid the party's ongoing Punjab leadership standoff between Charanjit Singh Channi's camp and PCC chief Raja Warring — and said the Shiromani Akali Dal had lost sight of the state's future while trapped in its own internal crisis.

The visit carried clear electoral signalling beyond the speech itself. It marked the first major BJP platform appearance for former AAP Rajya Sabha members Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Harbhajan Singh and Ashok Mittal since crossing over to the party, while former two-time Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh skipped the event. Modi's repeated engagement with Sant Ravidas and Dera Sachkhand Ballan — whose followers make up a significant share of the electorate in Punjab's Doaba region, home to the state's large Dalit population — was widely read as a deliberate outreach ahead of Sant Ravidas' 650th birth anniversary, which falls close to the 2027 election.

Taken together, political observers noted, the visit strongly suggested the BJP is preparing to contest all 117 Punjab Assembly seats independently in 2027, rather than through a traditional alliance arrangement. Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, addressing the gathering ahead of Modi, said the Jalandhar station's redevelopment had finally become reality after decades of neglect, and took his own swipe at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for skipping the event in favour of political engagements with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Neither AAP, Congress nor the Akali Dal had issued detailed rebuttals to Modi's specific charges at the time of publishing, though the speech's framing — Modi positioning BJP as the only credible alternative to three parties he cast as compromised in different ways — is likely to dominate Punjab's political conversation heading into election season.

Raghav Chadha Alleges ‘Vendetta’ After AAP Turncoats Join BJP 

Chadha claims he is the “next target” as Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meets President Murmu, demanding disqualification of seven rebel Rajya Sabha MPs.

A day after seven Aam Aadmi Party MPs formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha has alleged a campaign of political retribution from the Punjab government, claiming he is now in their crosshairs.

‘I am their next target’

Addressing reporters after a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, Chadha accused the Bhagwant Mann-led dispensation of weaponising state agencies to settle scores.

“They have started a dangerous game of revenge with the help of agencies such as the Vigilance Board and the Pollution Board. According to sources, I will be their next target,” Chadha said. He added that threats were being circulated through official state resources on social media, an allegation the Punjab government has not yet responded to.

The clearest sign of escalating tension came when both Chadha and rebel MP Sandeep Pathak met the President in the morning, followed hours later by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seeking the exact opposite—action against the very same leaders.

Mann seeks disqualification

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, who also met President Murmu later in the day, demanded the immediate cancellation of the rebel MPs’ membership.

“The way the Constitution was violated when seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs claimed they were a different party and merged with the BJP is unconstitutional. We demanded the cancellation of their membership. If the Central government misuses its power in Punjab, we will take action,” Mann told reporters.

Several AAP MLAs from Punjab have travelled to New Delhi in a show of strength, signalling that the party intends to fight the defections legally and politically.

‘Fake FIRs and intimidation’

Chadha alleged that the pressure was not just political but bureaucratic. He claimed that industrialist Rajinder Gupta’s factory had faced punitive action, including having its water supply disconnected, and that former AAP leaders were being hit with fabricated cases.

“We made the President aware of the misuse of Punjab’s state machinery. She has assured us of protection and of upholding the Constitution,” Chadha said.

Sandeep Pathak echoed similar concerns. “We exercised our constitutional right to leave the party. Now, fake FIRs are being filed to threaten us. We are not scared and will fight this legally,” Pathak said, referring to cases he claims were registered by Punjab Police.

A warning to officials

In a remark that drew sharp reactions, Chadha issued a pointed warning to state bureaucrats. “I want to tell Punjab government officers to be cautious, as the present government has only a few years remaining.”

He further alleged that AAP workers, possibly with police help, vandalised former cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s residence by scrawling “deshdrohi” (traitor) outside his home. The cricketer has not yet commented on the incident.

Punjab Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO dismissed the political crossovers as “undemocratic,” adding that the manner in which the seven MPs switched sides was a betrayal of the mandate.

With both sides now taking their battle to the President’s door, the coming days could see legal petitions and potential disqualification proceedings. For now, the political corridor in Delhi is watching how the Rashtrapati Bhavan responds to two opposing demands from the same state.

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Sunday issued his first video statement after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joining the BJP, alleging that AAP had turned into a “toxic” political organisation controlled by a few “corrupt and compromised” individuals. Raghav Chadha said the party no longer reflected the principles on which it was founded and claimed internal dissent had been systematically stifled.

In his statement, Raghav Chadha said he had spent 15 years building AAP but could no longer continue in what he described as a hostile political environment. He said the party had stopped functioning as a platform for public service and was now being run for personal gain by a select group of leaders.

Toxic Work Charge

Raghav Chadha alleged that AAP’s internal work culture had become deeply restrictive, with leaders being prevented from speaking in Parliament and discouraged from functioning independently. He said the work environment had become so toxic that meaningful political engagement was no longer possible.

According to Raghav Chadha, the party leadership had increasingly sidelined those who raised concerns or sought reform. He said the atmosphere within the organisation had become comparable to a workplace where employees were routinely silenced and their work suppressed.

Three Options Before Him

Explaining his decision, Raghav Chadha said he had weighed three options before leaving AAP. The first was to quit politics altogether. The second was to remain in the party and attempt internal reform. The third was to continue in public life through another political platform.

He said he chose the third option and joined the BJP to continue what he called “positive politics”. Raghav Chadha maintained that his move was not personal but political, and aimed at continuing public service with greater institutional support.

Seven MPs Back Move

Raghav Chadha also defended the collective exit of seven Rajya Sabha MPs from AAP, arguing that the scale of the split reflected deeper problems within the party. He said one or two leaders could be dismissed as dissenters, but seven MPs leaving together could not be ignored.

The Rajya Sabha has since approved the merger of seven former AAP MPs with the BJP. With this, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Vikramjit Sahney, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Swati Maliwal and Rajinder Gupta now stand officially recognised as BJP members in the Upper House. The development has raised the BJP’s tally in the Rajya Sabha to 113.

AAP Pushes Back

AAP has strongly contested the exits and the merger process. Party leaders have accused the MPs of political betrayal and indicated they would challenge the move through parliamentary procedure.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh has said the party will seek disqualification proceedings by writing to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, arguing that only three MPs had formally joined the BJP at the initial stage. In Punjab, protests have been reported outside the homes of some of the MPs who left AAP, with demonstrators accusing them of betraying the party mandate.

Political Fallout Widens

The fallout has triggered a wider political confrontation between AAP and BJP, especially in Punjab and Delhi, where the party had built much of its support base. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also sought time from President Droupadi Murmu over the matter and is expected to raise concerns linked to defections and political accountability.

The split marks one of the biggest internal ruptures in AAP since its formation and is likely to reshape its parliamentary strength and political messaging ahead of key electoral contests.

What Happens Next

The next phase will likely centre on legal and procedural scrutiny of the Rajya Sabha merger, along with AAP’s political response on the ground. Party leaders are expected to intensify outreach to contain organisational damage, while the BJP is likely to project the move as a sign of growing national support.

For Raghav Chadha, the immediate challenge will be to justify the shift politically and retain credibility among voters who backed him as an AAP leader.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is at the center of a shocking security scare today. Admitted to Fortis Hospital Mohali with breathing trouble, he received a bomb threat hoax claiming Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann bomb threat from the so-called Khalistan National Army. The threat, sent via email, alleged polonium poisoning and vowed to blow up the hospital— but it turned out to be fake.

Threat Details and Wild Claims

The email, received by 16 schools and hospitals including Fortis, warned of explosions at 1:11 PM. It claimed Mann was poisoned with polonium—a rare, deadly radioactive toxin—by "heirs of brother Dilawar Singh." It threatened his fate would mirror former CM Beant Singh's 1995 assassination. "Only Mann’s body will leave Fortis," it read, also targeting schools amid today's CBSE Class 10 Math exams starting at 10:30 AM.

No details on how poisoning occurred, raising doubts. The email signed off with Khalistan National Army, naming figures like Engineer Gurnakh Singh.

Massive Security Response

Police swung into action fast. Five bomb disposal squads swept Fortis Hospital Mohali, cordoning off the area. Anti-riot teams guarded gates, while Mohali police patrolled roads. SP City Dilpreet Singh confirmed: "CM's security team is fully alert. Non-essential services halted; thorough checks done." The hospital campus saw heightened security, but no explosives found—another hoax.

Schools like Gyan Jyoti evacuated in 10 minutes, informing police immediately. Parents panicked as CBSE exams kicked off, disrupting education in Punjab.

Pattern of Hoax Threats in Punjab

This isn't isolated. Punjab and Chandigarh face a wave of Punjab school bomb threats:

• Feb 11: 16 Mohali schools targeted, mentioning PM Modi and Amit Shah—no bombs.
  
  

• Jan 28: 26-30 Chandigarh schools threatened, tied to PM's Punjab visit—hoax.
  
  

• Jan 29: Secretariats evacuated—nothing found.
  
  

Over 9 cases since 2024, mostly emails from abroad (US IP, Bangladesh recovery). Why now? Amid Khalistan referendum tensions and fake encounters row, these Fortis Hospital Mohali hoax incidents test Punjab's security.

Why It Matters Today

With CBSE exams underway and Mann's health under watch, this exposes vulnerabilities. Experts like security analyst Pranchal Srivastava warn: "Hoaxes drain resources, spread fear." Punjab Police urge vigilance; investigations trace foreign links.

Takeaways: Report suspicious emails instantly. Schools must drill SOPs. For Mann, doctors monitor breathing issues—no polonium confirmed yet.

Stay tuned for updates on Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann bomb threat. Punjab remains on high alert.