BJP in another row: Karnataka advocate general quits

India Gazette (IANS) Thursday 9th February, 2012

For the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka, nothing seems to be going right as the state's advocate general B.V. Acharya has quit citing "pressure from the government" to do so.

Acharya, a very senior lawyer, is also special public prosecutor (SPP) appointed by the Karnataka chief justice on the direction of the Supreme Court in a corruption case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

The 78-year-old Acharya told reporters here late Wednesday that there was "pressure from the government to quit as SPP", though the reason given was he cannot hold two posts at the same time.

This comes close on the heels of three BJP ministers quitting their posts Wednesday, after two of them were caught watching porn in the assembly.

Acharya said there was no legal bar against him functioning both as advocate general of Karnataka and as SPP in the Jayalalithaa case.

However, he said, he preferred to remain SPP as he was appointed by the Karnataka Chief Justice on the direction of the Supreme Court.

His resignation was accepted by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj late Wednesday.

The BJP and the government declined to react to Acharya's claims.

The case against Jayalalithaa is that she amassed assets worth over Rs.60 crore during her first chief ministership. The case has been transferred to a Bangalore court by the Supreme Court to ensure fair trial.

Jayalalithaa has appeared twice in person in the court and answered over 1,000 questions on the assets and how she acquired them.

Acharya said his decision to quit as advocate general had nothing to do with allegations of financial irregularities of the Bangalore-based education trust he is involved with.

A petition had also been filed in the high court recently questioning Acharya holding two positions at the same time.

Acharya has been advocate general of the state five times earlier. He was appointed SPP in 2004 and had served as advocate general in 2007-08 also simultaneously. Acharya was appointed again in August last year after D.V. Sadananda Gowda took over from B.S. Yeddyurappa who quit over corruption charges.