Panjab Appoints a New Advocate General Bedi

Panjab Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh resigned from his post on 30 Mar citing his intent to return to private practice. On 31 Mar, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa alleged, ‘the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government intended to bring in around 50 law officers from Delhi, who are loyal to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Gurminder Singh was reluctant to do the same, so he was forced to quit.’ On 31 Mar, advocate Maninderjit Singh Bedi was appointed as Panjab AG. Bedi is 44 years old and the youngest AG of Panjab. Bedi is the fifth AG in the AAP govt. which came to power in March 2022. Deepinder Singh Patwalia had stepped down in March 2022, after the Indian National Congress (INC) was routed out of power by AAP. Senior advocates Anmol Rattan Sidhu and Vinod Ghai had resigned in July 2022 and October 2023, respectively. Bedi was serving in the Panjab AG office as Additional AG and is considered close to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Former mayor of Chandigarh, Anu Chatrath has been appointed Senior Additional AG. Chatrath is the daughter of late Gopal Krishan Chatrath, a former AG of Panjab, who had associations with the INC. Bedi takes charge at a time when the state is under intense scrutiny over multiple challenges, including the farmers’ agitation, its struggle to contain the drug menace, and the steady release of those accused in drug cases on bail due to prolonged detention caused by police failure to testify as witnesses. Adding to these is the recent clash between the police and an Army official in an assault case. The AG will also have to navigate the contentious Satluj Yamuna Link canal dispute between Panjab and Haryana, which remains unresolved after an inconclusive meeting between the Chief Ministers in December 2023 (earlier coverage).