Drama unfolded in the courtroom and outside on Friday over Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing senior Bengal police officers in the BJP yatra case.
“Why will the court allow Singhvi to appear when the advocate-general, the highest legal official of the state, is present? The court can’t allow the government to attack with a double-barrel gun,” BJP counsel R.K. Kapoor said.
Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta asked advocate-general Kishore Dutta Dutta why Singhvi had been engaged when he was already appearing. “I am appearing on behalf of the government and Singhvi on behalf of the respondent police officers,” said Dutta. The officers included state police chief Virendra and additional director-general (law and order) Anuj Sharma.
When Kapoor persisted with his objections, the Chief Justice asked Dutta to choose one. It was decided that Singhvi — elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bengal with Trinamul support — would complete the submission Dutta had already initiated.
Many state Congress leaders said they were “embarrassed” by Singhvi’s defence of the Trinamul government. Outside the court, a Congress-affiliated lawyers’ body waved “go back” placards for Singhvi.
At a news conference later, Singhvi said: “Those who think opposing a yatra with highly inflammatory and communal overtones is a disservice to my party are doing disservice to the Congress.”
Singhvi asserted that his roles as a lawyer and Congress leader were not the same. Asked if he had spoken to the leadership before appearing in court, he said: “I don’t take advice from unsolicited quarters on whom I should represent.”
State Congress chief Somen Mitra, in Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi, had complained to chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala against Singhvi, sources said. Behrampore MP and former state unit chief Adhir Chowdhury condemned the move.
