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New Delhi: The Punjab Cabinet has accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol and the post left vacant by him will be filled by Wednesday, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said in Chandigarh on Tuesday, November 9.
State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has been pushing for the replacement of Deol.
Deol was an advocate for former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, who has been on the receiving end of much criticism from Sidhu and others for his alleged wrongdoings in handling the sacrilege issue in Punjab under the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party rule.
Deol had succeeded in getting the former DGP blanket relief from arrest in all four FIRs registered against him by the Punjab Police till the assembly elections in the state, due in February 2022.
Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Channi said the AG had resigned a few days ago. “The Cabinet today accepted it (his resignation),” said Channi, adding that it would be sent to the state governor.
“Tomorrow, the new AG will be appointed,” said Channi.
As The Wire had reported earlier, the state’s top law officer had, on November 6, charged Sidhu with “obstructing the functioning” of the Channi government and the AG’s office.
A day before Deol’s lash out, Sidhu had said that while he was withdrawing his resignation as state Congress chief, he would not join the office of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee till Channi replaces Deol and DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.