In yet another volte-face, govt picks Anmol Rattan as new AG

Blurb: Promised post to DS Patwalia, but his brother as ASG during NDA-I used against him

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

In yet another last-minute turnaround, the government cleared the name of senior advocate Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu as the State Advocate-General after initially promising the post to senior advocate DS Patwalia.

Available information suggests Patwalia was offered the post by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu was also in favour of Patwalia’s appointment to the post. But the file could not be signed as the Chief Minister left for Kapurthala and then Delhi.

In the meantime, the clearance of Patwalia’s name resulted in the launch of a whisper campaign in the corridors of power. The Additional Solicitor-General’s post held by his brother, senior advocate PS Patwalia, during the BJP-led NDA government’s first tenure was used against him. Finally, DS Patwalia was ordered to be replaced with Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu.

This is not the first case of U-turn by the government after the change of guard. It had initially proposed former Cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra’s appointment as the Deputy Chief Minister, but OP Soni’s name was finalised after last-minute deliberations.

The Advocate-General’s post had fallen vacant after Atul Nanda resigned soon after Capt Amarinder Singh stepped down from the Chief Minister’s post following the changed political circumstances in the state.

Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu has served as Assistant Solicitor-General of India, Additional Advocate-General of Haryana and the president of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association. He was also the chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, and remained Punjab Deputy Advocate-General.

He also served as the Dean, Faculty of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and was awarded the Parman Patra by the state government in 2004 for his contribution to society. This is believed to be the highest award given to a civilian of a state in recognition of his/her services.