SAD to oppose justice Gill’s candidature as Lokpal: Sukhbir

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said he will write to Punjab and Haryana high court chief justice Krishna Murari, urging him not to approve former judge Mehtab Singh Gill’s name for appointment as Lokpal, saying the latter is a “known Congress worker as well as Akali baiter and could not be expected to perform his duties in a non-partisan manner”.

Reacting to reports that justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill’s name had been forwarded to the chief justice for appointment as Lokpal, Sukhbir said the SAD would submit a detailed report on this issue to the CJ and request him to reject the proposal forthwith.

“We cannot have someone appointed as Lokpal purely on the basis of his proximity with the chief minister as well as leader of opposition. The appointment of the Lokpal cannot be a quid pro quo arrangement,” he said.

The SAD president said justice Gill had a long political association with chief minister Amarinder Singh.

“During the 2013 Moga by-election when Capt Amarinder was the Pradesh Congress president, justice Gill not only assisted in the Congress election campaign, but also provided his residence in Charik village in Moga to Amarinder as residence-cum-camp office for the entire duration of the campaign”.

He said justice Gill was also given an official role in the Congress campaign for the 2017 assembly elections with Amarinder making him part of a committee which was assigned with the task of preparing the blueprint for the party’s election manifesto in 2016.

Stating that justice Gill was also “benevolent” on leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the SAD president said the former had recommended cancellation of 17 cases registered against Khaira and his supporters.