New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the alleged meeting of solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta and West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari in Delhi “reeks of impropriety” and sought the former’s removal from his post.
Responding to the allegations, Mehta denied meeting Adhikari. He said that the BJP made an unannounced visit to his residence at 3 pm on Thursday, but they did not meet each other.
The letter, written by TMC MPs Derek O’Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Mahua Maitra, said the alleged meeting raises ‘some serious questions’ about the integrity of the solicitor general since the BJP MLA is an accused in the Narada and Saradha cases, which are being investigated.
We strongly condemn Shri Tushar Mehta’s meeting with Shri @SuvenduWB, who has been accused in various offences that are currently being investigated.
This raises some serious questions about the integrity of the post held by the Learned Solicitor General. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/PQTKtNR7La
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 2, 2021
The letter says that a meeting between an accused in grave offences with the learned solicitor general, who is advising the agencies that are investigating Adhikar, “is in direct conflict of interest” with the statutory duties of Mehta’s post.
In the Narada case, Adhikari was allegedly caught taking bribes, while in the Naradha Chit Fund scam case, the prime accused has made “grave allegations” against the BJP leader, who was formerly with the TMC. The letter points out that while Mehta is representing the CBI in the Narada case, he has advised and appeared for the agency in the Saradha scam case in the past.
“We have, therefore, reasons to believe that such a meeting has been organised to influence the outcome of matters where Suvendu Adhikari is an accused, using the high offices of the learned solicitor general,” the letter says, while pointing out that the meeting “curiously” took place subsequent to Adhikari’s meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah.
“We state the act of the learned solicitor general to provide an opportunity of audience to Suvendu Adhikari not only reeks of impropriety, there is a direct conflict of interest and also taints the position of the second highest law officer of the country,” the letter by the TMC MPs added.
To maintain the “neutrality and integrity” of the office of the solicitor general of India, necessary steps be taken for the removal of Mehta from the post, the TMC MPs said in the letter.
In a statement, SG Mehta said that though Adhikari made an announced visit to his residence cum office at 3 pm on Thursday, he was in a “pre-scheduled meeting” in his chamber at the time. “[M]y staff requested him to sit in the waiting room of my office building and offered him a cup of tea. When my meeting was over and thereafter my PPS informed me about his arrival, I requested my PPS to convey Mr Adhikari my inability to meet him and apologize as he had to wait,” the statement says, according to LiveLaw.
After this, Adhikari left “without insisting” to him, Mehta said. “The question of my meeting with Mr Adhikari, therefore, did not arise,” the statement says.
(With PTI inputs)