Punjab Governor administered Oath at Punjab Lok Bhawan; Punjab Government Boycotts Ceremony

Chandigarh, 07 September (H.S.): Despite opposition from the Punjab government, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra on Monday morning took oath as the 37th Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court at a ceremony held at Punjab Lok Bhawan.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Mishra at Lok Bhawan. Justice Sheel Nagu was the Chief Justice before him. In June 2026, Justice Nagu was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court.

The Punjab government had opposed Justice Mishra’s appointment on Sunday. The state Cabinet held an emergency meeting on Sunday evening and formally registered its objection to the appointment. The Cabinet passed a resolution stating that the Punjab government’s opinion had not been sought during the appointment process and that the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) had been violated. The state government had also demanded that Justice Mishra’s swearing-in ceremony be stopped.

As announced earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other state ministers did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. The Chief Minister’s chair remained vacant on the stage.

Intelligence agencies had also provided inputs regarding possible protests during the ceremony. In view of this, Chandigarh Police sealed several roads and diverted traffic around the venue. Vehicles heading towards Lok Bhawan were subjected to thorough checking as part of the security arrangements.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Justice. Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana, along with several senior officials, was also present at the ceremony.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH