File photo of Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today criticised the Centre for allowing Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to appear in a case against the state government in the Supreme Court.
On Friday, the Centre's top lawyer had appeared in Court for Kerala liquor bars, which has challenged the High Court order upholding the state government's liquor policy. Last year, the government implemented a new policy intended to reduce liquor consumption in the state.
In order to ensure that Mr Rohatgi does not appear for the next hearing on July 28, the state government will put their protest in writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.
A statement from the chief minister's office read, "It is indeed shocking that the Attorney General did so after obtaining permission from the Union government, hence, the prime minister has to clarify his stand on the matter."
The 59-year-old lawyer had told the Court that he was appearing for the petitioners - Kerala liquor bars - in his private capacity. Mr Rohatgi told NDTV, "Four star bar owners in Kerala are my old clients. They wanted my help. Why is the government of Kerala afraid of a lawyer? If I had not appeared, some else would have appeared. There's nothing wrong in appearing for them."
Usually the Attorney General represents only the Centre in Courts or the State governments on their request.
But the Congress led state government is not convinced, the chief minister's statement further read, "it was the responsibility of the Union government to fully back a State that was going ahead with phased ban on alcohol... there was nothing that linked the Union government to this programme that is being implemented with social responsibility by the State government."
Law Minister Sadananda Gowda told NDTV, "If the case is against the Central government, the Attorney General can't appear. But here it is not so. Attorney General has taken permission to appear for the private party."
While Mr Rohatgi claims that this is a petty issue, the Kerala government has termed his appearance in the case as "quite a disheartening and unjustifiable act."