AG again declines to initiate a contempt case against Jagan

The demand to initiate contempt against Reddy and Kallam was made by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay in a letter addressed to AG on October 25 which the latter rejected on November 2.

Attorney General K K Venugopal has refused to reconsider his November 2 decision declining consent to BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay to initiate contempt proceedings against the Andhra Pradesh chief minister and his principal advisor for making allegations against judges.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy addresses at a press conference in Amaravati. (ANI Photo)

However, he stated that his refusal to grant consent will not come in the way of the Supreme Court taking suo motu contempt action on Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s allegations contained in a letter written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) on October 6.

The demand to initiate contempt against Reddy and Kallam was made by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay in a letter addressed to AG on October 25 which the latter rejected on November 2. AG maintained that the alleged contempt arose out of a letter written by Reddy to Chief Justice of India (CJI) on October 6 and since the CJI was seized of the matter, it would not be appropriate for him to interfere. Upadhyay replied to Venugopal on November 5 seeking reconsideration.

The government’s chief law officer, in his reply, reiterated his stand saying that the issue of contempt was between Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde and Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his principal advisor Ajeya Kallam.

However, he added: “My refusal to grant consent does not preclude you from bringing these facts to the notice of the Judges of the Supreme Court with a prayer for initiation of suo moto action…”