Difference with government not reason for AG's resignation, says CM Mamata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that there was no difference of opinion between Advocate General Jayanta Mitra and the state government.

Mitra tendered his resignation from the post of Advocate General on Tuesday.

The Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan raised the issue in the Assembly on Wednesday. While giving a clarification on the issue, Banerjee said: "I don't want to talk about the matter in details as it is the prerogative of the government as to who will be given which post and in which position. I would like to say, with due respect, that there were no differences of opinion with anyone." She maintained: "Balai Roy, former Advocate General, has died. I still pay him respect as he used to work relentlessly and unconditionally for the people."

"He was posted in the post of Advocate General in the Left Front regime despite being a member of a political party. But I am not posting any member of a political party as advocate general," she said.

Taking a dig at the Left Front MLAs, she said: "It was your credit that you had posted a member of your party as the Advocate General and it could be my discredit that I have not posted a party member."

She further said: "The state government had a very good relation with the former Advocate Generals Bimal Chatterjee and Anindya Kumar Mitra. We never had any trouble with them."

"I would like to say that Jayanta Mitra had resigned earlier on May 19, 2016. At that time, we had just formed the government for the second term. Thus, I had asked him to let us think over the matter for some time. As a result, he continued," Banerjee said, adding that she gave the clarification to the members in the Assembly as the issue was raised on Wednesday.