Punjab CM's 'drunk' remark stokes Centre row over new high court chief justice

Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the new chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court, even as a bitter dispute between the Punjab government and the Centre continued over his appointment.

Opposition leaders seized on allegations that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appeared intoxicated at a recent rally where he discussed the judicial appointment, intensifying the political standoff. The remarks added to growing tensions between the state administration and the central government over the selection process.