A day after Justice (retd) R A Mehta declined to take up the office of Gujarat Lokayukta, the state government today said they are assessing legal options and they do not want the post to stay vacant for long.
"We strongly believe that the post of state Lokayukta should not stay vacant for longer time now. We are assessing the situation and have asked the legal experts to soon chart out the next course of action," state finance minister and government spokesperson Nitin Patel said.
Giving a new fillip to the controversy over the Lokayukta issue, Mehta, whose appointment as Gujarat Lokayukta was opposed by Narendra Modi government, yesterday declined to assume office, saying the controversy has "denigrated" the office of the anti-corruption watchdog.
A retired Gujarat High Court judge, Mehta blasted the Modi government for calling him "biased" and "anti-government" while opposing his appointment.
To a question whether the state government would persuade Justice Mehta to withdraw his decision not to assume office, Patel said, "As I said we are still in the process of assessing all possible options. I cannot tell you anything more on this."
The state government yesterday said that it was wrong on Mehta's part to say that the government was opposed to him, whereas, the state government was opposing the process under which he was appointed as Lokayukta by Governor.
"We strongly believe that the post of state Lokayukta should not stay vacant for longer time now. We are assessing the situation and have asked the legal experts to soon chart out the next course of action," state finance minister and government spokesperson Nitin Patel said.
Giving a new fillip to the controversy over the Lokayukta issue, Mehta, whose appointment as Gujarat Lokayukta was opposed by Narendra Modi government, yesterday declined to assume office, saying the controversy has "denigrated" the office of the anti-corruption watchdog.
A retired Gujarat High Court judge, Mehta blasted the Modi government for calling him "biased" and "anti-government" while opposing his appointment.
To a question whether the state government would persuade Justice Mehta to withdraw his decision not to assume office, Patel said, "As I said we are still in the process of assessing all possible options. I cannot tell you anything more on this."
The state government yesterday said that it was wrong on Mehta's part to say that the government was opposed to him, whereas, the state government was opposing the process under which he was appointed as Lokayukta by Governor.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%