New Delhi: The Supreme Court came down heavily Tuesday on the Maharashtra Wakf Board for removing Attorney General KK Venugopal as its counsel before the hearing on a batch of pleas relating to legal questions on the donation of land by Muslims and its position under ‘wakf’ laws, saying ‘this is not the way you behave with the Attorney general (AG)’.
The Attorney General said his last-minute removal is an ‘unwarranted attempt to interfere in the due administration of justice’ and ‘clearly is an act of contempt of court’.
“I am very much disturbed after seeing your (AG’s) letter. What are you (Wakf Board) thinking? Is this the way you deal with the Attorney General for India,” Chief Justice NV Ramana said after taking note of the letter of Venugopal. “I sincerely apologise,” responded the counsel for the Wakf Board.
At the outset of the hearing, the bench, also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was told by Venugopal that he has been removed from the case and a letter to this effect was circulated.
“When he had agreed to argue the matter despite some issues… And you replaced him. What is this? This is not the way to remove the Attorney General. I am not going to advance the date (of hearing). List it on the day fixed,” the CJI said.
The top court is seized of petitions relating to the legal question of whether land donated by Muslims for charitable work would come under ‘wakf’ law just because the settler is a Muslim.
On Monday, the AG, who has been preparing for the case even while being down with Covid-19, wrote to the Registrar Judicial of the apex court alleging his removal as counsel in the matter and said that ‘an unwarranted attempt to interfere with the administration of justice’ has taken place and this amounted to ‘contempt of court’.
