BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter
New Delhi: Salman Khursheed assumed charge of office as Minister of Law & Justice today. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that his priority would be to continue with the important work and reforms being done by his predecessor.
Among other priorities, the minister listed that the Lokpal Bill, the Food Security Bill, the Communal Violence Bill, the Judicial Accountability Bill and other follow-up legislations would be at the top on his list.
Regarding the work of solicitor general, the minister said that he would consult the prime minister on the issue of the resignation of Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam with the prime minister and take a decision after getting directions from him.
“I will take up the issue with the prime minister. After receiving necessary directions, I hope to decide on the matter soon,” he told reporters in reply to a question.
Khurshid has already said he could also discuss the issue with Subramaniam.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, he had said, “Why should I not talk to anyone…but as a lawyer, I must say I have not received the brief. I will have to go through the issue.’
Terming the entire episode as “unfortunate,” the minister said he will first go through the details and the “various versions” available before deciding on anything.
He said he knew Subramanium well and termed him an “excellent lawyer.”
Subramanium, who has been appearing for the government in 2G related cases in the Supreme Court, said it was “unfair” that the Law Ministry chose to appoint Rohington Nariman as counsel for Union of India to appear in a PIL by an NGO against Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal without his consent.
Slighted by the appointment of the counsel without taking him into confidence, Subramanium had sent his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
On the issue of land acquisition he said that there were quite a few existing good models of Land Acquisition Policy like that in Haryana and the Government would work towards bringing the Bill to the Parliament very soon.
