Jethmalani blames Soli for his exit from Cabinet, AG rebuts charge

Jethmalani blames Soli for his exit from Cabinet, AG rebuts charge
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

PUNE, JULY 23: The morning after his resignation, Ram Jethmalani breathed easy. Made to quit as Union law minister, the self-proclaimed ``no-nonsense'' Jethmalani consciously converted an innocent college Law Day into a classic platform to express his ``many disappointments with the Prime Minister'' who chose a ``pliant'' man over him.

``The Prime Minister had to make a choice between a pliant attorney general and a no-nonsense law minister. He has made his choice,'' Jethmalani told reporters the moment he showed up at the Law Day 2000 function organised by the Symbiosis Society on Sunday morning.

In Delhi, Attorney General Soli Sorabjee hit back with a cryptic statement saying, ``Mr Jethmalani knows the reasons for his resignation. He did not require my help for his exit from the Ministry.''

Clearly peeved by Jethmalani's remarks, Sorabjee indicated that their differences arose because because he was ``an independent Attorney General who would not act or give opinions according to the minister's behest''.

Having fired the first salvo, a determined Jethmalani proceeded to address the Pune gathering as advocate, and not minister for law, justice and company affairs, as the invitation stated. And organisers tried hard not to mention.

Yet he couldn't mask his disappointment. Of an intractable man of justice wronged by the ``enemies of the nation'' who still has ``many better things to do in life... not being a minister only frees me for other things.''

Immediately complying with requests for an impromptu press conference, minutes after a subtle speech on ``an unhappy human face of law that wears a look of depression, frustration and distress,'' Jethmalani insisted that he did not wish to pretend he had resigned of his own accord. ``My resignation was asked for. The Prime Minister wears a crown of thorns. I don't want to add one more thorn to it.''

With the mask off, and a frank appeal against ``embarrassing questions,'' a defiant Jethmalani disclosed that his friction with Attorney General Soli Sorabjee had started almost the day he became law minister. ``I could not co-exist with the Attorney General. I have put up with a lot of things that I don't wish to go into now. The last straw on the camel's back was his performance at the Supreme Court hearing on Friday.''

Confessing he had decided to announce his decision to quit on reaching Pune on Saturday, Jethmalani explained at length that the PM's message reached him through Union Minister for External Affairs, Jaswant Singh, en route to the airport -- ``before I could communicate my intentions to the PM or my colleagues.'' His resignation was faxed at 6pm from Pune. The crisp letter took care to mention the urgent need for new arrangements to handle his portfolios beginning Monday.

``I can only guess why the PM wanted me to resign, though I certainly know why I wanted to resign,'' he said, adding that the very least ``I expected from my Attorney General when the Chief Justice made his first hostile comment was to tell the Chief Justice to issue me a notice or ask for an adjournment to seek instructions from me. His performance in court almost showed an encouragement of what went on in court.''

Allowing a fleeting moment of obvious regret, Jethmalani confessed to ``a little feeling of sadness. I had sworn to reform the legal system within two years. I was on my way to do that before the enemies of the nation frustrated me... When it comes to dealing with the Supreme Court, whose honour, integrity and independence I have strived to sustain all my life, I will know how to deal with it... I have nothing more to say.''

Except, just one whispered remark of remorse while walking out of the conference room. ``I had a long talk with Bal Thackeray. I had almost brought peace to the state.''

Earlier, sharing the dais with Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, B.P. Singh, Jethmalani had ``politely resisted the temptation to talk about Thackeray. I have already created a lot of complications.''

He also threw a calculated barb against bureaucrats obstructing the repeal of 1,300 redundant laws. His remark that ``every law contains a source of power and affluence for bureaucrats'' drew guffaws when he admitted that his best efforts had succeeded in the re.