2 views on AG resignation

TT, Calcutta, Feb. 8: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Jayanta Mitra, who resigned as advocate-general yesterday, gave contrasting reasons on what prompted the barrister to quit.

While Mamata told the Bengal Assembly today that media reports saying Jayanta Mitra had resigned because of "differences of opinion" with the state were "incorrect", the barrister said he had differed with the government "three to four times" when asked about the reason for his decision.

"I love the media, but I have to say this. You don't re-check and cross-check facts before publishing.... That he (Jayanta Mitra) has resigned because of differences of opinion is incorrect," the chief minister said in the Assembly.

Brandishing a piece of paper, Mamata said it was Jayanta Mitra's resignation letter dated May 19 last year. "The new government was just being formed. We had requested him to carry on for the time being. He did so," she said.

Jayanta Mitra is the third person after barristers Anindya Mitra and Bimal Chatterjee to have quit as advocate-general since the Trinamul Congress came to power in 2011.

Barely two hours after the chief minister had spoken today, Jayanta Mitra said the May 19 resignation was part of protocol.

"When any government ends its term, the advocate-general of the state has to quit his post. In May last year, after the government ended its five-year term, I resigned. The re-elected government appointed me again to the post," the barrister said.

"In my tenure, I had some differences of opinion with the government, three to four times. That prompted me to quit."

Additional advocate-general Lakshmi Kanta Gupta also sent his resignation to governor Keshari Nath Tripathi today.

Sources said advocate Kishore Dutta could replace Jayanta Mitra.