No need for the AG to step down after the ruling party changes: Prabhuling Navadgi, Advocate General of Karnataka.

Last Updated on July 5, 2022 by

Written By- Pretika Tiwari

In an interview with Bar & Bench, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi talked about several legal issues that the Karnataka state has been a battleground of that caused unrest in the State. One of those issues was the Hijab issue. In the past advocate, Navadgi had defended the State before the High Court. He had re-assumed his office for the post of AG in July 2019 following a short stint by Senior Advocate Udaya Holla, who resigned shortly after the Congress-JD(S) lost power in Karnataka. In July 2018, Holla replaced Navadgi, who had resigned soon after the BJP government ceased to be in power in the State.

Talking about his resignation Navadgi stated that the post of AG was proposed to be held y the Law Minister of the State and that of the Attorney General by the Law Minister of the country, but it did not happen because both these posts were supposed to be independent and free from political control. “But the highest traditions have always marked that because he is the choice of the government of the day, it is the government of the day who chooses the Advocate General.” Further, Navadgi said that there is nothing wrong with the Advocate General, the first law officer of the respective State, who is bound to defend and advise the State on the law policies. And it is only reasonable that across the board, political eras may hold views that are radically opposed to one another. Because of this, if the Advocate General selected by the prior dispensation is to remain, he may find himself in a position where he must disagree with the judgement made by the previous AG. Nothing is improper if the Advocate General is likewise nominated again by the next political dispensation in order to avoid these kinds of awkward, contradicting circumstances.