by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Special report
Speculation over new Attorney General
Harish Salve may replace Rohtagi
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, May 27,
If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to select the candidate for the President’s and Vice President’s post during the next fortnight, he also has a difficult task of decide as to who will be the next Attorney General and other law officers.
The tenure of AG Mukul Rohtagi, Solicitor-General of India Ranjit Kumar and dozen other ASGs is ending in June. There is strong speculation that noted lawyer Harish Salve may be brought in as AG in place of Rohtagi and Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General may be promoted as SG. Tushar Mehta is considered close to BJP president Amit Shah and a Gujrati. IN any case, Ranjit Kumar wants to return to active practice once again after three years of stint in the government. He was sounded out to be elevated to the Supreme Court as a judge considering his seniority in the profession. But he is reported to have declined. Thereafter, L Nageshwar Rao, an Additional Solicitor General was elevated to the SC bench.
It may be mentioned that Harish Salve was sounded out by the Modi government in May 2014 itself. But Salve had prior commitments in London then in a series of arbitration cases and he sought excuse. Recently, he appeared for India at the international court of justice and made a mark. But Mukul Rahtagi has extremely impressed the Prime Minister during these three years by his legal acumen and argumentative skills in the Supreme Court. He is considered an upfront and aggressive legal luminary. But Modi has not taken a call on yet on the issue and the suspense continue.
Modi also has to take a call in concultation with the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on appointing some of the new ASGs also . ASG Parminder Singh Patwalia has already quit and another ASG Neeraj Kishan Kaul has conveyed his desire to relinquish the charge.
