Punjab Advocate-General Anmol Rattan Sidhu's resignation months after his appointment has drawn a barrage of criticism from the Opposition, which accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of being run by the party's “remote control” in Delhi.
Sidhu, who was appointed as the Punjab AG in March after the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in the State, tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Mann on July 19, citing personal reasons.
The state’s top legal officer's resignation reignited the debate on influence emanating from Delhi over the Punjab government. Earlier this month, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) VK Bhawra sought a Central deputation and later took a two-month leave.
The government then gave additional charge to Gaurav Yadav as the State’s police chief. The government also appointed Vijay Kumar Janjua as the new Chief Secretary of the State, replacing Anirudh Tewari in early July.
Reacting to the resignation and replacement of the state's three top officials within a short span of time, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said this showed that senior officers in Punjab were "feeling suffocated as the government was being run by the party’s high command" in Delhi.
“Orders are being given from Delhi, which the officers in Punjab find difficult to implement, and hence such a scenario has developed. If this is the state of affairs in three months, I wonder how the government would run,” Cheema said.
Congress leader and LoP Partap Singh Bajwa said the 'unstable government' run by Mann was the reason behind the resignation of officers. "AAP government is not stable that is the reason officers are resigning," he said.
Bajwa also accused Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal of taking all decisions related to Punjab. "Mann is a stamp power of Punjab, not CM, all decisions are taken by their Delhi office. All appointments are also decided by Kejriwal, not Mann," the Congress leader alleged.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira hit out at the AAP saying, "The sudden change of Punjab A-G once again confirms that the Bhagwant Mann-led government is not only directionless and unstable but also, it’s being run through remote control and not by the Chief Minister."
Senior BJP leader Sunil Jakhar said it seemed that the Bhagwant Mann-led government was “going” the same way as the previous Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government did.
It seems @BhagwantMann govt is 'going' - Channi govt way! Striking similarities. Then also,first DGP was removed,then the AG. Same script being followed now,only characters have changed. Earlier the puppeteer was Harish,now it’s Raghav Chadha. In any case;Punjab suffers.