Days after writing to PM Modi, TMC MPs knock on President’s door seeking removal of Solicitor General Mehta

A visit by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to the residence of the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, has led to a political storm in West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress writing to President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday seeking the removal of Mehta.

Calling the meeting an “issue that raises grave doubts of impropriety in one of India’s highest legal offices”, the letter signed by TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy read, “The Solicitor General of India is the second highest law officer of the country after the Attorney General of India and advises Government of India and its various organs and in crucial legal matters such as Narada and Sarada cases. Such meeting between an accused in grave offences, with the learned Solicitor General who is advising such investigation agencies by whom the said accused is being investigated, is in direct conflict of interest with the statutory duties of learned Solicitor General of India.”

This comes days after the Trinamool Congress wrote a similar letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter.

To preserve the sanctity of the post of Learned Solicitor General of India, removal of Mr Tushar Mehta is of utmost importance.

In that regard, we have written to the Hon’ble President of India seeking his urgent intervention to initiate the necessary steps on this matter. pic.twitter.com/mhMucRuV8u

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 5, 2021

“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. In order to avoid any doubt in the mind of the public at large, as to the integrity and neutrality of the office of the Learned Solicitor General of India, we approach you to initiate necessary steps for removal of Sri Tushar Mehta from the post of the Solicitor General of India,” Monday’s letter added.

Mehta, while confirming Suvendu Adhikari’s visit to his residence, had denied allegations of a meeting between them. “Shri Suvendu Adhikari did come to my residence cum office yesterday at around 3 pm, unannounced,” the SG had said in a statement.

“Since I was already in a pre-scheduled meeting in my chamber, my 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 to Adhikari my inability to meet him and apologise as he had to wait,” Mehta had informed.

Suvendu Adhikari, too, rubbished such claims and had said that although he had gone to see Mehta, the latter did not meet him.

Speaking about the clarifications by Mehta and Adhikari, the TMC MPs also asked the President to urge Mehta to make public the CCTV footage of his house so as to dismiss speculations about the meeting.