New Delhi: The Attorney General KK Venugopal on Sunday has declined to reconsider his refusal to initiate contempt proceedings against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy over the allegations against Supreme Court.
This is the second time that the AG has refused such permission.
Earlier on November 2, Venugopal had refused permission to Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay to initiate contempt proceedings in the matter.
However, he said that his refusal to give consent cannot stop Upadhyay from approaching the court, which can suo motu initiate contempt proceedings against the Chief Minister.
“Since the letter was addressed directly to the Chief Justice of India, the CJI is seized of the case and it would not be appropriate for me to deal with it,” the Attorney General said last Monday.
Upadhyay, however, had written again to the Attorney General, asking him to reconsider his decision.
In his response, Venugopal said not only is he required to consider whether “particular statements or conduct will be prima facie contumacious” but also whether it is in “larger public interest” to place such matters before the Supreme Court as a contempt petition.
In a letter dated October 6, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had written to the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde alleging his immediate predecessor Justice N V Ramana of “influencing the sittings of the (Andhra Pradesh) High Court including the roster of a few Honourable Judges.”
