D S Patwalia is new advocate general of Punjab

Senior advocate D S Patwalia has been appointed as the new advocate general of Punjab, said an official on Friday.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is leant to have been pushing for his appointment.

Patwalia was appointed as the state's top law officer days after the resignation of senior advocate A P S Deol was accepted by the Punjab cabinet.

''The Governor of Punjab in exercise of power conferred under Article 165 of the Constitution of India is pleased to appoint Deepinder Singh Patwalia, senior advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court, as advocate general for the state of Punjab with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,'' according to an official order. Patwalia's name had earlier also come up when Charanjit Singh Channi took over the chief minister in September. But then A P S Deol was given the charge of the AG. Sidhu strongly opposed the appointment of Deol, who had represented former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in cases related to the 2015 police firing incidents after the desecration of a religious text. Sidhu had even stepped down as the Punjab Congress chief over the appointments of Deol and Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the director general of police. Later, Sidhu withdrew his resignation but put a precondition that he would resume the charge the day a new advocate general was appointed and a panel for the appointment of a new director general of police came from the UPSC. On November 9, Channi had announced that the resignation of Deol had been accepted and a new AG would be appointed. On November 16, Sidhu resumed the charge at the party's state office.

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