SAD-BJP opposes appointment of Justice Gill (retd) as Punjab Lokpal

The SAD-BJP combine today urged Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore to refuse assent to the appointment of "Congressman" Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd) as the Lokpal, saying he did not meet the Constitutional, political and moral qualifications needed for the post.

A joint Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP delegation led by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parveen Bansal submitted a memorandum to the governor detailing Justice Gill's "close association with the Congress party as well as Chief Minister Amarinder Singh".

"Justice Gill (retd) abused power as head of the Commission of Inquiry formed by the Congress government to look into cases during the Akali-BJP regime," the delegation said.

The delegation stressed that the Lokpal should be a person of impeccable character and represent public interest.

Badal said the judge was also barred from holding this august post as per the Punjab Lokpal Act (1996) which stated that the Lokpal shall not be connected with any political party.

He said Justice Gill (retd) wore his allegiance to the Congress party on his sleeves.

"During the run up to the 2017 Assembly elections Capt Amarinder appointed Justice Gill to a committee which was assigned with preparing the blueprint for the Congress party's election manifesto," Badal said.

Detailing Justice Gill's role as head of the Commission of Inquiry to look into alleged false cases, the delegation members said the retired judge had brazenly misused his powers and transgressed into the jurisdiction of investigative agencies and courts by arbitrarily cancelling FIRs purely based on his proximity with the Congress government.

They said Justice Gill (retd) had thus followed the whip, command and dictate of the Congress government as head of the Commission of Inquiry.

The delegation also submitted a record to the governor regarding Justice Gill's functioning as judge of the high court.