MP Advocate-General quits

Jabalpur, Jan 1 (UNI) Senior advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinandan Singh today claimed that his resignation from the post of Advocate General post was not due to any temptation for a better post.

''This is the last year of the BJP tenure and I principally wanted to give another person an opportunity to serve as Advocate Ggeneral. The resignation was faxed to the State Law Department at about 2030 hrs yesterday. Prior to that I wanted to have a discussion with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan but learnt over cellphone that he was in Shirdi with family,'' the Mr Singh told journalists here this afternoon.

Mr Singh said the discussion eventually took place today and Mr Chouhan was informed of his resignation's reason.

''After the BJP government was formed in Madhya Pradesh, the then Chief Minister Uma Bharti urged me to become the Advocate General and said the regime should not suffer reverses in court during my tenure. During the past roughly four years, I made every effort to ensure that no such reverses took place. I received full cooperation from Ms Bharti and her successors Mr Babulal Gaur and Mr Chouhan,'' he added.

Pointing out that there was no substance in the allegation that he quit as he could not represent the state Government properly, Mr Singh added that he would continue working in the judicial arena.

On the question of his successor, he said ''the Chief Minister alone has the right to take that decision.'' The dumpers' purchase case is nothing but a false allegation against Mr Chouhan,'' he added.

When asked whether he put in his papers on Ms Bharti's bidding, Mr Singh said for him Ms Bharti was first like a member of his family and then a political leader, Ms Bharti's presence in the ten-day Bhagwat Katha, organised here by Mr Singh, was a proof of it.

UNI RG-AC GT RN2006