Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has taken charge as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court — and he made his position clear within hours. Less than two hours after taking the oath, he heard the contentious dearness allowance (DA) case and said the court would not be browbeaten by any tactics.
His message was direct: the court will follow the rule of law and its oath to the Constitution. The statement lands at a tense moment, as the Punjab government had formally objected to his appointment just a day earlier.
Oath Ceremony and Political Signals
Justice Mishra was administered the oath by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. He had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court since June 1 before being confirmed as the full-time Chief Justice.
The ceremony itself carried political undertones. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini attended the event. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, however, was conspicuously absent — a silence that speaks volumes given what happened next.
Punjab Cabinet Resolution Against Appointment
The oath came just one day after the Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution objecting to Justice Mishra's appointment. The resolution appealed to the President and the Prime Minister, though the full details of the cabinet's concerns were not immediately detailed in the original report.
The timing creates an unusual scenario: a state government formally opposing a judicial appointment while the new Chief Justice begins hearing cases that involve that very state's interests.
"The court would not be browbeaten by any tactics and would be guided by the rule of law and its oath to the Constitution." — Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra
What the DA Case Means for Punjab
The dearness allowance case is the immediate flashpoint. Justice Mishra chose to address it head-on in his first hours on the bench, signaling that external political pressure will not shape judicial outcomes.
For Punjab government employees and the state administration, this means the DA matter will be decided strictly on legal merits. The Chief Justice's early statement suggests he intends to run an independent court, regardless of who objects to his presence.
Our Take: A Necessary Signal at a Critical Moment
In our view, Justice Mishra's early statement is exactly what an independent judiciary needs in a moment like this. When a state government publicly objects to a judge's appointment, the judge's first public act matters enormously.
By addressing the DA case immediately and asserting that the court won't be pressured, Justice Mishra has drawn a clear line. He is telling all sides — the Punjab government included — that judicial decisions will follow the law, not political convenience.
The absence of Punjab's Chief Minister at the oath ceremony, combined with the cabinet resolution, creates an uncomfortable dynamic. But the new Chief Justice has responded with clarity rather than confrontation. He did not attack the state government. He simply stated the court's duty.
This is the right approach. Judges cannot control what politicians say about them. They can only control how they behave on the bench. Justice Mishra has chosen to anchor his tenure in the Constitution and the rule of law — and that is precisely what the situation demands.
Whether the Punjab government's objections will escalate or fade remains to be seen. What is clear is that the High Court's new Chief Justice will not be moved by pressure tactics. For anyone watching the DA case or any other matter before this court, that is a reassuring sign.
