Amar Preet Singh Deol, the Punjab Advocate General, has retaliated against Congress leader Navjot Sidhu, who has demanded the top lawyer's resignation over his representation of two accused cops in the 2015 sacrilege and police firing case.
Last week, criminal lawyer APS Deol resigned as Punjab's advocate general (AG).
Today, he slammed state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, accusing him of "obstructing the government's functioning." Sidhu resigned from his post after criticising the Charanjit
Singh Channi government's appointment of Deol.
"Navjot Singh Sidhu's repeated statements aim to derail the State government's sincere efforts to ensure justice in the drug and sacrilege cases", said APS Deol.
"In order to gain political advantage over his political colleagues, Sidhu is spreading false information," he added.
Mr Sidhu on Friday said that he would withdraw his resignation as head of the Congress' Punjab unit, but only if Chief Minister Charanjit Channi accepted the resignation of APS Deol.
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"I have taken back my resignation... When a new Advocate General is appointed, I will take charge," Sidhue declared, issuing yet another ultimatum to his party.
Mr Channi had refused to accept Mr Deol's resignation on Tuesday, sending a clear message to Mr Sidhu that the Chief Minister is in charge of the government.
The 61-year-old government lawyer gained the limelight earlier this year after safeguarding the release of former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, who was arrested by the vigilance bureau in a 2020
criminal case. In the 2015 sacrilege cases before the Punjab and Haryana high court, Deol represented Saini and other accused.
Following his appointment, this became the source of government criticism.
It was argued that an advocate general who defended Saini and those accused of sacrilege should not have been appointed. His appointment was also opposed by several Sikh organisations.