India, Sept. 7 -- Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was sworn in as chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday morning, an event conspicuously skipped by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

The oath of office was administered by Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Lok Bhawan.

The ceremony was attended by Haryana governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, sitting judges of the high court, and senior officials from both states.

Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha conducted the proceedings. However, Mann and his cabinet colleagues were absent, leaving the chair reserved for the Punjab CM on the dais empty. Conventionally, chief ministers of both stakeholder states attend the swearing-in of a...